Ingredients

3 pints best-quality vanilla ice cream, softened

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon Banana 99

1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar, optional*

2 sticks unsalted butter

¾ cup packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

8 ripe bananas, sliced

¼ cup dark rum, plus a little more (generous pour)

1 large box Nilla Vanilla wafers, about 12 ounces

Methods/steps

Let ice cream sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to soften—but you do not want it reach a liquid state. Whip cream until very stiff and flavor with Banana 99; set aside. If you like things sweeter, add 1 tablespoon of confectioner's sugar to the whipped cream (Vanessa and Andrew prefer it this way!)*.

Melt butter and sugar together in a large sauté pan. When it is bubbly, add vanilla, salt and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Add bananas and sauté. Do not worry if the butter and sugar appear to separate. When bananas are warmed through and beginning to soften, turn off gas burner and add rum. It will flambé, but that is fine. Using a fork, mash the bananas, leaving some pieces whole and some larger than others.

Remove from fire and cool down in an ice bath. When cool, mix with softened ice cream. Remove 3 cups and reserve for whipped cream part. Freeze softened ice cream-banana mixture until partially frozen, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, line a 9 x 13 casserole with Nilla wafers, on the bottom and the sides. Reserve 1 cup of cookies, and crush to make cookie crumbs.

When ice cream is partially frozen, fold whipped cream into the three cups of ice cream and set aside for topping. Spoon remaining ice cream on top of wafers. Smooth out to the edges and top with whipped cream layer.Smooth out. Top with cookie crumbs and place back into the freezer for 3 hours or until ready to serve.

ALL RECIPES ©ELIZABETH KARMEL 2020