Hypoallergenic Chocolate-Banana Ice Cream

     Bananas contain a lot of both pectin and starch, which means frozen bananas can be turned into surprisingly smooth, luscious single-ingredient banana ice cream by simply whirling them around in a food-processor. They can also be used as an ice cream base to which syrups and other flavorings can be added. In this recipe they are paired with corn-free chocolate syrup to produce an ice cream with none of the usual allergens (milk, eggs, corn, etc.) that is reminiscent of a classic chocolate-dipped frozen banana.

     3 thoroughly ripe bananas: Ideally the skins should be turning brown. 

          Thoroughly ripe bananas are sweeter and their flavor is better developed. 

          (See Bananas in the Glossary)

     1/2 cup corn-free chocolate syrup 

     (optional) 1/2 tsp. corn-free vanilla extract 

     Peel the bananas and freeze them thoroughly in a sealable container. (It is vital to peel them first. It's really hard to peel a banana after it's frozen.) Use the coldest part of your freezer to ensure the ice cream will come out as solid as possible.

     Take out the container with the frozen bananas. Break the bananas into a few pieces each and put them into your food-processor. Put the container back into the freezer; you will need a chilled container in a few minutes, because a warm container can cause ice cream to melt a bit at first.

     Start processing. Add the chocolate syrup and the vanilla extract. Process thoroughly, until smooth and creamy. This can take a few minutes: the bananas go through a few phases before arriving at an ice cream texture.  Scoop the ice cream into the chilled container. Put the container back into the freezer. . 

     Serve immediately as soft ice cream or put into freezer immediately.