By: Hannah Oppenheimer
Uncategorized

Drunky Chunky Monkey (+ bonus cocktail)

Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey is officially breakfast food. It’s banana-bread-meets-milk-and-cereal. All wrapped up in ice cream. I don’t have a favorite flavor, but every time I eat Chunky Monkey, I think crazy-ice-cream-lady thoughts, like, “If I had to marry one, this would be my life partner.”

I made it Drunky with a little Rum because:

  1. There’s a reason Bananas Foster exists.
  2. Sometimes alcohol makes the ice cream texture smoother, and I was particularly worried about this with the bananas adding so much texture
  3. Maybe you’re living the cliche Ben & Jerry’s life, and you could use a shot of Rum with your Rom-Com on a Friday night with your roomie (let’s be real with each other).

But as always, the alcohol is optional.

Drunky Chunky Monkey in a pint carton, in front of cactus
“Put a cactus on it” is a thing right?

Drunky Chunky Monkey in a pint carton, from above

Ingredients

  • 3 bananas, sliced
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3 bananas
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup milk powder
  • 3 tablespoons Rum (optional)
  • 80-90 grams (about 2/3 cup) chopped walnuts
  • 80-90 grams (about 2/3 cup) roughly chopped dark chocolate (or just buy pre-chopped chocolate chunks)

Ingredients for Optional Cocktail

  • 2 tablespoons of the banana-brown-sugar syrup from the first step.
  • 2 Ounces Rum
  • 1 large ice cube/sphere

Directions

  1. On a skillet over medium heat, heat up the bananas, brown sugar, and water, until the bananas are mushy (but not dissolved). Strain the bananas into a cup. (Set the liquid aside if you would like to use later for an optional cocktail. If you don’t want to save that, you can toss it!)
  2. Blend the bananas. Whisk in the egg yolks and 2 tablespoons of rum into the blended bananas. Set aside.
  3. Heat the milk, cream, milk powder, and sugar over medium-low heat and stir lightly until the powder and sugar are dissolved. Turn off the heat.
  4. When the milk mixture is below 70 degrees C, pour the bananas-egg mixture into the milk-cream mixture on the stovetop. Mix to combine. Turn the heat back to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it reaches between 74-78 degrees C on a candy thermometer.
  5. Pour it through a strainer into a bowl with lid or Tupperware, and place it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
  6. While that’s waiting, you can optionally make a cocktail out of that amazing banana-brown-sugar syrup. In a rocks glass combine 2 tablespoons of syrup, 2 ounces of Rum, and one large ice cube/sphere.
  7. Remove your ice cream base from the fridge, and add 1 more tablespoon of Rum. Begin churning it according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Just before the ice cream is done churning, add the chopped walnuts and chocolate to the churning bowl a little bit at a time until it’s as Chunky as you (the monkey) likes. You can add more or less than what I recommended.
  8. When it’s filled and churned to your liking, place it in safe storage in the freezer for a few hours or overnight to solidify.
  9. Scoop and enjoy!