Banana Bread with Caramel Ice Cream and Pecan Brittle
Here, the brittle adds the excitement to the ice cream sandwich by providing the crunch. But don’t add the brittle too far in advance, as it will begin to dissolve into the ice cream. If pecans are not your favorite, you can substitute a nut that’s more to your liking.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 ice cream sandwiches
Ingredients
For the banana bread
For the ice cream
For the pecan brittle
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with butter and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
Step 2
To make the banana bread, whisk together the sugar and oil in a medium bowl. Add the bananas, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla and whisk together until smooth. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into the banana mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and set on a baking sheet. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, rotating the pan 90 degrees after 30 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven, let rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack.
Step 3
To make the ice cream, place 1 1/4 cups of the sugar in a large saucepan with about 1 tablespoon of water; it should look like damp sand. Cook over high heat until the sugar melts and becomes a very dark, smoking caramel. Remove the pan from the heat and very carefully whisk in the cream and then the milk. Return the pan to the heat and bring the liquid to a rolling boil. Whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Temper the yolks by gradually whisking about half of the hot cream into the yolks and then returning it all to the pan and whisking it together. Add the salt and the vanilla. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Chill this mixture over ice and transfer to an ice cream maker. Process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the ice cream to a covered container and place in the freezer for about 2 hours, until firm.
Step 4
Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a sheet pan.
Step 5
To make the pecan brittle, spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until they are fragrant and dark brown. In a 4-quart pot, mix the sugar, water, butter, and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking to the bottom, until a light caramel color (or, if using a candy thermometer, until it reaches 300°F). Remove from the heat and very carefully stir in the baking soda, pecans, and salt. Working very quickly before it cools, spread the mixture over the buttered sheet pan using a heat-resistant rubber spatula. Once it is completely cooled, break into small pieces.
Step 6
When ready to assemble, let the ice cream defrost at room temperature for 15 minutes. Mix the brittle into the softened ice cream. Evenly spread the ice cream over 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices of banana bread, covering them all the way to the edge. (The ice cream must be soft enough to avoid ripping the bread.) Sprinkle some sea salt over the ice cream, close the sandwiches with a matching 4 slices of banana bread, and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour before serving.
