Long Live the Banana Split! Katie Smith’s No-Churn Sundaes
Inspired by sundaes at a windswept ice cream parlour in Ireland, Katie Smith shares easy ice cream and sauce recipes for making a banana split and knickerbocker glory at home. Photos by Georgia Rudd.
Good morning, and welcome to Vittles! Today, Katie Smith shares quick and easy recipes for two ice creams and two sauces so you can build two classic ice cream sundaes at home: the banana split and a knickerbocker glory.
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In Rome, ice cream is eaten all year round. Last year, I spent a few months working in the city and dedicated time to trying as many scoops as possible in between cooking lunches and dinners at the American Academy. A hole-in-the-wall gelateria with no shop sign, located on a quiet street around the corner from a monastery, quickly became my favourite: they sold salt-crusted almond, lemon verbena, and three varieties of chocolate. As the months passed, I perfected my portable sundae order in broken Italian. There was always a large bowl of freshly whipped cream sitting on the counter, and I got into the habit of adding a spoonful to my cup of Manjari chocolate gelato and mango sorbet.
My love of sundaes was born at Morelli’s, an ice cream parlour on the north coast of Ireland that has a menu dedicated to ice cream concoctions with neon sparklers and squirty whipping cream. My mum, my sister and I would often share a knickerbocker glory or cookies and cream sundae between the three of us, our hair windswept, wearing our waterproof coats (essential in Ireland even at the height of summer).
Of course, sundae artistry doesn’t have to be confined to seaside ice cream parlours or Roman gelaterias. You can quickly and easily whip up your own – often using ingredients you may already have in your cupboards. Here is my guide to making two retro classics – the banana split and knickerbocker glory – from scratch.
Build Your Own Sundae
The Ice Cream
Of course, the foundation of any good sundae is the ice cream. While most ice cream bases are made by creating a rich egg yolk custard, which is then frozen and churned in a continuous freezer (i.e. an ice cream machine), here I provide two recipes – one for vanilla ice cream, the other for a chocolate ice cream – that follow the no-churn method. In the no-churn method, a combination of condensed milk and whipped cream creates a smooth ice cream that doesn’t freeze into a chalky ice block, with no need for an expensive machine. Once you have your ice cream base in the freezer, it’s time for sauces.
The Sauces
When choosing dessert, most people fall into two camps – fruit or chocolate. Below I provide recipes that cater to both tastes. For chocolate lovers, there’s a silky smooth hot fudge sauce that can be used to form a chocolate moat around a scoop of vanilla or to drizzle over a classic banana split. I also share a fresh, bright fruit sauce that can be made quickly by blitzing the whole fruit and straining – perfect for a knickerbocker glory.
Toppings
This is the time to truly follow your desires. Channel the energy of creating a sandwich at Subway – there are no rules. Add a handful of toasted nuts, open a tin of fruit cocktail, or scatter over broken cookie pieces to add crunch. Whatever you choose, make sure to finish the sundae off with a generous squirt of whipped cream and top with a cherry.
Two Ice Creams
My take on the flavours that form the foundation of your sundae!
Vanilla No-Churn Ice Cream
Makes 900ml ice cream
Time 5 mins plus at least 4 hrs’ freezing
