Shockingly Delicious: Mango Banana Curry Ice Cream

Creamy, sweet, spicy, each flavor pops on your palate in harmony. Shockingly delicious, Mango Banana Curry Ice Cream. Must. Have. More. 


I know there are plenty of unusual ice creams out there. Sweet corn. Beet. But this is different. It's strangely addicting. Seriously addicting. Like you want to grab the tub and lock yourself away with it so you don't have to share. I served this to my roommate John and his unsuspecting sister Susan, along with some homemade vanilla ice cream, and we all wanted seconds on the Mango, Banana Curry ice cream. And then thirds. Poor vanilla.


I'm a sucker for the Ataulfo mangoes when they come into season in the spring. I eat too many, really. After the first couple of weeks, though, I usually have more of them parked in the fridge, dead ripe, than I can eat. So sometimes I freeze them. As I put a bag of the peeled and pitted mangoes into the freezer, I saw a couple of forlorn-looking frozen bananas on my frozen fruit shelf (yes, I have a frozen fruit shelf in my big freezer). They wound up there when they were too soft to eat, and were destined for banana muffins that I never  made.  A lightbulb moment: Cold- Mango- Banana. Hmmm...ho-hum....wait...Indian seasonings work in sweet mango  chutneys...Eureka.

Rich, creamy golden goodness,  Mango Banana Curry ice cream

This Mango Banana Curry ice cream is absolutely ravishing, both to the eye, in it's bright yellow hue, and on the palate. Be brave, make it today. I promise it'll be the best thing you've eaten this year so far.

Shockingly Delicious: Mango Banana Curry Ice Cream

Note: The vodka (alcohol) is simply to keep the ice cream from getting icy and and rock hard while it ripens in the freezer after churning. If you can't or won't use it, leave it out, but you'll have to take the ice cream out of the freezer to let it thaw a bit before serving. And use a sweet or mild curry powder here, you don't want to pack heat here, though it probably wouldn't be a bad thing if your family and guests are into it.

Mango Banana Curry Ice Cream

1 lb. peeled and diced mango, (preferably Ataulfo Mango in season) though thawed frozen mango works

2 very ripe medium-small bananas, peeled and mashed
1/4 cup water

3/4 cup cane sugar

2 tsp. sweet curry powder (I use Penzeys)

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup creme fraiche or natural sour cream
2T vodka (or a light colored rum would work, too, yum)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Juice from 1/2 lime

In a medium saucepan, place the mango, the bananas and the water. Add the sugar and the curry powder, stir and cook over low heat until the mango softens, and becomes sauce-like. Place the mango mixture in a food processor, or blender container. Add the cream, creme fraiche, the vodka, the vanilla and the lime juice. Puree until smooth. Place in a metal bowl and chill for at least 2 hours or until the mixture is below 40ºF. Or put the mixture into a zip-top bag, and place into an ice and water bath until fully cold.

Place into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. After churning, freeze the mixture in a freezer container for three hours or more to ripen and harden. Makes about 1 .5 pints.

BBQ and 102°: Amy's Sangria Saves the Day

Every year around Independence Day we have a big barbecue. All the friends, family and neighbors come heading down our driveway carrying  covered platters and pie carriers. Little ones, middle ones and the oldsters all hang out together in the yard and the patio, eating smoked brisket, pulled pork and everyone brings a side or dessert. So there is a lot of variety.  A TON of food. We all decided to scale it down a bit this year since the family is still reeling from my SIL's unexpected death. But there was still a ton of food. And a heat wave. 102°F.

Suddenly on Thursday I realized the BBQ was going to be INSIDE my air-conditioned house. The weather folks weren't going to be wrong. So that chicken we set up into the brine got smoked early (sorry no pictures as I was hurrying to beat the heat) on Friday. Then finished on the grill by CC, who braved thunder and lightning (no real rain to cool it down) to give it a nice crisp finish. But I'm ahead of myself. Having to move all of it IN, made me frazzled. Fourteen adults whining about the heat outside with the children  roaring around chasing the dog. Bedlam. I had plenty of wine, water, soda and juice...but nothing to cheer me up and add a little pizzaz to the proceeds. Amy saved the day. Her friend Janey makes a killer sangria, she said, and she'd email me the recipe. Really then, it's Amy's and Janey's Sangria, but who cares? It is fabulous. One glass, and bingo, no more frazzled.

Amy made me promise to not dootz around with the recipe, and I didn't really, except to add some seltzer to the jug. People would forget to add it to each glass, and it IS in the recipe. And only because it's got so much alcohol added to the wine and fruit, we'd all be flat-out before any of the food came off the grill. Sorry, Ames.

Don't wait for a BBQ to make this. Any gathering at all will welcome this kind of cool libation. Way too good, really.

White Sangria: Good way to beat the heat!

Note: You do need to add the citrus, and depending on the wine and fruit combo you use, perhaps a bit of sugar or honey. Made a double recipe. I used a 1.5 liter bottle of Chardonnay in each batch, plus, lemons, limes, blood oranges, strawberries, white peaches and mango. A peeled and sliced kiwi or two would be pretty, too, or cherries. Add what's nice and seasonal, but be sure to stick in plenty of citrus.  I served it on ice, since it was 102°F. Make it a day ahead, or at least 8 hours to let the flavors meld. 

Amy and Janey's Killer White Sangria

1 bottle chardonnay

1 c. triple sec, cointrou or grand marnier (triple sec most cost effective)

1 c. peach schnappes

Fresh fruit…especially lots of limes (squeeze in the limes…..cut up lemons, cut up oranges, apples, throw in berries...whatever is in season.

At this time of year, 1 orange, 1 lemon, one cut up lime for color is fine and pretty!

Add sparkling water in individual glasses so if there are leftovers the rest does not go flat.

"Anyone have a straw?"