Apparently August 25th Banana Split Day! (Who comes up with these things?) If you didn’t know, the banana split is a long standing family favourite dessert consisting of banana, ice cream, whipped cream, sauces of any flavour, cherries and any other topping you may desire.
The basic creation is a peeled banana cut in half lengthwise, and served with ice-cream and sauce between the two pieces. There are many variations, but the classic banana split is made with three scoops of ice cream (one each of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry). A sauce or sauces (chocolate, strawberry, and pineapple are traditional) are drizzled onto the ice cream, which is topped with whipped cream and maraschino cherries. Crushed nuts (generally peanuts or walnuts) are optional.
We’re told that the Banana Split was invented in 1904 by David Evans Stricklerm from Pennsylvania, an apprentice pharmacist who enjoyed creating sundaes. Selling them in the stores Soda Fountain, they became a huge hit with local students. Word of this popular, calorie-filled delight soon spread and others began imitating his creation.
The city of Latrobe, Pennsylvania celebrated the 100th anniversary of the invention of the banana split in 2004 and, in the same year, the National Ice Cream Retailers Association (NICRA) certified the city as its birthplace. Now Latrobe is the venue for an annual Great American Banana Split Celebration, and has set up a shinre to the original soda fountain where the first confection was made!
The Great American Banana Split Celebration is held throughout the downtown Latrobe area in late August, with food, fun and events for kids and adults to enjoy. In the UK, the banana split is reputed to have inspired the longstanding debate between residents of the counties of Devon and Cornwall in England about how to correctly assemble a traditional cream tea. With food rationing imposed after WW2, ice cream was in short supply, so the split’s usual ingredients were partly replaced by scones made with locally grown ingredients. Local traditions developed quickly within each county about how best to meet the tastes of their respective tourist trade, leading to differing applications of the cream in the assembly of the dish.
Anyway, here’s a traditional American Banana Split recipe from www.tasteofhome.com.
Ingredients:
Banana: Choose a fully yellow banana for a banana split. A few spots are OK, but a brown banana will be too soft for a banana split. (Save those for banana bread recipes.) A banana with a tinge of green is fine, but not too green or the banana will be starchy and flavorless.
Ice cream: A classic banana split recipe uses one scoop each of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate ice cream.
Strawberries: Use fresh, cut-up strawberries if they’re local and in season, or a strawberry ice cream topping if you want something with a bit more sweetness.
Pineapple: Like the strawberries, fresh pineapple or pineapple ice cream topping works for this banana split.
Whipped cream: Go the easy route with canned whipped cream or a thawed frozen whipped topping. Or, forgo the stabilizers and preservatives and make your own sweetened whipped cream at home.
Peanuts: We love the crunchy element that chopped peanuts add to a banana split recipe. Feel free to leave them out, or use candied pecans, macadamia nuts or pistachios instead.
Chocolate syrup: Whether you’re loyal to your favourite store-bought brand or you have a stash of our easy, delicious chocolate sauce in your fridge, you’ll need at least 1 tablespoon of it for this banana split.
Cherries: Two maraschino cherries are the finishing touch for a banana split. Fresh cherries work too. Just be careful of their inedible pit. Bonus points for beauty if the cherries still have their perky stems attached.
Equipment: A long, shallow serving dish
Directions:
- Place the three scoops of ice cream in a row in a dessert dish.
- Place one banana half on each side of the ice cream, letting the ice cream sit in the middle.
- Top your banana split with the strawberries, pineapple, whipped cream, chopped peanuts, chocolate syrup and cherries. Serve the banana split immediately.
TIPS: While classic banana splits have scoops of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, you can be as creative with unique ice cream flavours as you like. Change the toppings: Instead of chocolate syrup, consider salted caramel sauce, strawberry syrup or peanut butter ice cream topping. Use blueberries, raspberries or another fresh fruit to replace the pineapple and strawberry, or skip the fresh fruit toppings altogether and go with something a little more indulgent like Oreo crumbles, sprinkles or chopped peanut butter cups. Just keep the split banana as the base so you’re still making a banana split.
Caramelise the bananas: Split the banana open lengthwise, as you would for this recipe, then sprinkle the cut-open sides with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Place a skillet over medium heat, and melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Place the bananas cut-side down in the skillet, and let the brown sugar and bananas caramelise, about two minutes. Carefully flip the bananas and caramelize the other side for a minute more. Promptly remove the pan from the heat and place the bananas cut-side up in your serving dish, then scoop on your ice cream and other toppings.
See also: Gluten-Free Air Fryer Fish and Chips Recipe
