Banana Granita with Plum Ginger Sauce

There’s not really a recipe here; just broad guidelines for how to turn three ingredients into an amazing treat that is so rich and divine. I was tired of not being able to eat ice cream, so I just put this together and it hit the spot. But a little too late, because it’s October now. Whoops.

So, why is it called Banana Nice Cream? Isn’t all ice cream nice? Maybe there’s just not a synonym for “healthy” that rhymes with “ice.” I get it. Well, I just didn’t know whose original idea I would be promoting by calling it Nice Cream, so I called mine granita.

If you’re a Banana Nice Cream expert, you can make it however they taught you in culinary school. Here’s how I did it: I blended up several ripe to overripe bananas in my blender, mixed them for about 5 minutes with the whisk attachment on my hand mixer, then poured it into a freezer-proof container, and let it freeze. When I scooped it out later, it kind of flaked off the spoon resembling more of a granita than ice cream.

Then for the sauce, I pitted and sliced several plums and blended them with about a tablespoon fresh ginger. You can add a little water if you’re having trouble blending. Then I simmered the sauce in a small pan for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. You’ll want to cook it until it’s a nice thick consistency.

Spoon some sauce on the granita. It’s very delicious.