Banana Almond Ice Cream

SERVES 4

• 4 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped roasted almonds
• 2 teaspoons plus 2 separate tablespoons
• good-quality maple syrup
• a pinch of coarse sea salt
• 120ml · 4fl oz unsweetened
• almond milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

✿ Freeze the banana slices in a single layer on a tray or plate lined with parchment or wax paper. Once the slices are frozen, use them immediately or keep frozen in a zip-top plastic bag or airtight container for up to a month.

✿ Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the almonds with 2 teaspoons of the maple syrup and the pinch of salt and set the mixture aside.

✿ Combine the frozen banana slices, the almond milk, the remaining 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup and the vanilla in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is the texture of soft-serve ice cream, scraping down the sides as necessary. Don’t worry if the mixture is not totally smooth at first – once the bananas start to break down and defrost in the food processor, they’ll give in and the ‘ice cream’ will take shape quickly.

✿ Spoon the banana ‘ice cream’ into bowls immediately and sprinkle each serving with a bit of the almond mixture.