Banana Bread with Caramel Ice Cream

I love banana bread, and it's easy to make. It's perfect for when you have some bananas that are getting a little soft, and you need to use them up. The recipe is from 'The Good Housekeeping Cookbook'.

Start by softening the butter by pulling it out of the refrigerator and leaving it at room temperature for an hour. In a bowl, combine 2.5 cups (11 oz) flour with 2 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp baking soda. In another bowl, mash 3 bananas and combine with 1/4 cup milk and 2 tsp vanilla extract.

In a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer, or even with a whisk if you need to), beat 4 oz softened butter with 1 cup sugar until creamy. Beat in 2 eggs, then reduce the mixer speed and add about 1/4 of your dry mix. Once combined, mix in 1/3 of your wet mix, then keep going until the last 1/4 of your dry mix is in. Pour your batter into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 F for at least an hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack, and allow to cool completely. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil and keep at cool room temperature overnight. It tastes better the next day. Enjoy!

To make the caramel ice cream, start by setting up a medium metal bowl on ice, with a strainer in it. Next, measure 7 oz sugar and enough water to make it wet in a heavy pan. Heat on medium until the sugar caramelizes (I like it to get golden brown, but no darker) to the desired point. Carefully (it will boil furiously) and slowly, add 1 pint half and half, stirring. Allow to return almost to a simmer, stirring regularly. Do not allow it to boil. Meanwhile, whisk 5 egg yolks. Ladle some hot half and half into the yolks. Whisk quickly and pour back into the saucepan. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. When this point is reached, immediately pour it through the strainer into the cold bowl. Once the mixture has cooled a little, chill in the refrigerator and then churn in an ice cream machine. Transfer to the freezer for a few hours. Enjoy with the banana bread.

Note 1 - If you like walnuts in your banana bread, stir in 4 oz of chopped (preferably also toasted) nuts just before pouring the batter into the loaf pan.

Note 2 - Metric Info: 11 oz = 310g; 1/4 cup = 60 ml; 4 oz = 110g; 1 cup = 240 ml; 350 F = 175 C; 7 oz = 200g; 1 US pint = 470 ml.