roasted banana soft serve or roasted banana custard?

The recipe is called soft serve. However, I think it more of a custard. Only because when I think of soft serve, I imagine a thick and luscious consistency not unlike a vanilla cone from the Mister Softee truck or Carvel. And this erred more to a slightly thinner texture, but still very velvety and a tad...gloppy. That's not to say it wasn't delightful (and it was!). The fragrance of the roasted bananas alone was enough for me to just abandon the whole thing and eat it right there and then. But in the interest of full disclosure, I was expecting something that would make me say, "Ice cream? Never again!".  And instead, it was more, "It tastes wonderful...but I now that I've got my mind on ice cream, I need to get my hands on a pint of Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough".  Oh well, I guess I'm just hard to please that way.

Roasted Banana Soft Serve (adapted from Healthy Food for Living,)
1-2 servings

2-3  ripe bananas 
1 tablespoon milk (optional)
A bit of maple syrup
A dash of cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Peel the bananas and cut into 1-inch pieces. Arrange banana pieces on baking sheet.
Lightly glaze with maple syrup.
Roast for about 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Place cooled banana pieces on a parchment paper-lined plate or in a plastic bag and freeze until solid.
Remove the bananas from the freezer and place in a food processor or high-speed blender and a tablespoon of milk. 
Process or blend until smooth and creamy.
Serve with a dash of cinnamon (or more, as in my case).

 I'm starting to notice this affinity I have for fruity dishes that can be consumed for breakfast or dessert (here, here and here). What can I say? Summer is the best time to play with fruits. And I'm taking advantage of it.


-jillian m.