Classic Banana Split

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Banana split boat or long oval dish
• •Ice cream scoop
• •Small saucepan
• •Heatproof bowl
• •Hand mixer or whisk
• •Long parfait spoons

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the hot fudge sauce

   Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the half cup of cream in a small saucepan until bubbles form around the edges, then pour over chocolate. Let stand one minute, then stir gently from the center outward until smooth and glossy. Stir in butter, corn syrup, and salt until incorporated. The sauce should coat a spoon thickly. Keep warm over a pot of barely simmering water.

   This sauce can be made up to two weeks ahead. Refrigerate in a jar and rewarm gently in a water bath or microwave in fifteen-second bursts, stirring between each.
2. 2

   Prepare the strawberry sauce

   Combine quartered strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until berries soften and release their juices, about eight minutes. Mash some berries against the side of the pan for texture while leaving others in pieces. The sauce should be jammy but pourable. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

   Frozen strawberries work beautifully here when fresh are out of season. No need to thaw first, just add two minutes to the cooking time.
3. 3

   Whip the cream

   Pour the cold cream into a chilled metal bowl. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat with a whisk or hand mixer until the cream holds soft, billowing peaks that droop slightly when you lift the beater. This takes about two minutes by hand, less with a mixer. Stop before the cream turns grainy. Cover and refrigerate until assembly.

   Chill your bowl and beaters in the freezer for ten minutes before whipping. Cold equipment makes lighter, more stable cream.
4. 4

   Chill your dishes

   Place your banana split boats or long oval dishes in the freezer for at least fifteen minutes before assembly. A cold dish keeps the ice cream from turning to soup the moment it touches down. This small act of preparation separates a glorious sundae from a disappointing puddle.

5. 5

   Split and arrange the bananas

   Peel each banana and slice lengthwise from tip to tip, cutting through the natural curve. You want two long halves that will cradle the ice cream like the hull of a boat. Lay the halves cut-side up in your chilled dishes, curved sides nestled against the edges, creating a valley in the center for the ice cream to rest.

   Choose bananas that are yellow with just a few brown freckles. Too green and they're starchy, too ripe and they'll turn to mush under the weight of the toppings.
6. 6

   Scoop the ice cream

   Working quickly now, scoop three generous balls of ice cream and nestle them in a row between the banana halves. The traditional arrangement is chocolate in the center, vanilla on one end, strawberry on the other. Use a proper ice cream scoop dipped in warm water between scoops for clean, rounded balls that look like they belong in a soda fountain.

7. 7

   Apply the sauces

   Here is where personal preference rules. Tradition dictates chocolate fudge over vanilla ice cream, strawberry sauce over chocolate ice cream, and caramel over strawberry ice cream. This creates visual contrast and ensures every bite offers something different. Drizzle generously. Nobody ever complained about too much sauce on a banana split.

8. 8

   Add the finishing touches

   Crown each scoop with a billowing mound of whipped cream, using a spoon or piping bag fitted with a star tip for extra flourish. Scatter chopped peanuts over everything with abandon. Plant a cherry with its stem pointing skyward atop each cloud of cream. Step back. Admire your work. Serve immediately with long spoons and plenty of napkins.

Chef Tips

• •Seek out ice cream with a high butterfat content, at least fourteen percent. The cheap stuff is pumped full of air and melts into a watery disappointment before you've taken your third bite.
• •Store-bought caramel sauce is perfectly acceptable here. Look for one with butter and cream listed in the first few ingredients, not corn syrup. Or use butterscotch sauce for a slightly less sweet alternative.
• •If maraschino cherries remind you of childhood in the best way, use them. If you find them cloying, substitute fresh sweet cherries when in season, or brandied cherries for an adult version.
• •The traditional nut is the peanut, roasted and salted. Walnuts offer a more sophisticated flavor if that suits your audience. Toasting them briefly in a dry pan deepens their character.

Advance Preparation

• •Hot fudge sauce can be made up to two weeks ahead and refrigerated in a sealed jar. Rewarm gently before serving.
• •Strawberry sauce keeps refrigerated for one week. Bring to room temperature or warm slightly before using.
• •Whipped cream can be made up to four hours ahead and refrigerated, covered. It may need a quick re-whip before serving.
• •Bananas should be split at the moment of assembly. Once cut, they brown quickly and lose their fresh appearance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 1100g)