Banana split board with cherry limeade

If I could have one Oklahoman business open a branch in California, it would be the Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Store. They set the standard for my tastebuds when it comes to ice cream sundaes and cherry limeades.

For an upcoming gathering, guests are tasked with providing a themed board. I, of course, am probably overdoing the assignment but I love a fun challenge. The following is what it takes to create a banana split board with cherry limeades. In some instances, I elevated the ingredient, such as roasted strawberry-buttermilk sherbet and double Dutch dark chocolate ice cream instead of their basic blends. Going for extra wow factor by making my own maraschino cherries, then using the juice as the "cherry" in the limeades.

Banana splits:

• Bananas
• Randy Mill Farms homemade ice cream
• Roasted strawberry-buttermilk sherbet
• Double Dutch chocolate ice cream
• Hot fudge sauce
• Strawberry sauce
• Pineapple sauce (bonus!)
• Marshmallow sauce
• Caramel sauce (another bonus!)
• Toasted almonds
• Whipped cream
• Maraschino cherries

Cherry limeades served with an assortment of vodkas.

Preparation order:

• Maraschino cherries: store up to 3 months
• Marshmallow sauce: store up to 2 months
• Caramel sauce: store up to 3 weeks
• Strawberry sauce: store up to 3 weeks
• Hot fudge sauce: store up to 2 weeks
• Pineapple sauce: store up to 2 weeks
• Randy Mill Farms homemade ice cream: store up to 3 days
• Roasted strawberry-buttermilk sherbet: store up to 3 days
• Double Dutch dark chocolate ice cream: store up to 3 days

Note: This is a progression of my previous Building a better banana split post.

Braum's cherry limeade

Active: 5 minutes; Total: 5 minutes; Yield: 1 drink/2 gallons

	Single serving	2-gallon batch
Lime, rinsed, rolled on counter, cut in half	1 + Garnish slice	30
Sweet cherry juice concentrate or maraschino cherry juice	2 tablespoons	24 ounces
Simple syrup	2 tablespoons	24 ounces
Ice
Club soda	½ cup	4 liters
Maraschino cherry	Garnish

1. Squeeze the lime halves into a glass, and drop in the limes. 
2. Add simple syrup and cherry juice; shake to combine. 
3. Add ice, and top with soda. 
4. Garnish with cherry and lime slice.

Note: For larger batches using the beverage dispenser, wash and freeze a bag of lime, and use as ice cubes.

Maraschino cherries

Active: 25 minutes; Total: 1 hour 20 minutes; Yield: 2 cups

Cherries, rinsed, pitted	¾ pound
Cherry liqueur, such as Luxardo maraschino liqueur	1 cup
Cherry juice, tart	3 tablespoons
Sugar, granulated	¼ cup

1. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cherry liqueur, sugar, and cherry juice. 
2. Stir to dissolve the sugar. 
3. When it just begins to simmer, remove from the heat. 
4. Add the cherries, and let cool to room temperature. 
5. Store the cherries and the juice in a lidded glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.  

Recipe from sidewalkshoes.com.

Marshmallow sauce

Active: 10 minutes; Total: 22 minutes; Yield: 2 cups

Water	½ cup + ½ cup
Gelatin, unflavored	1 teaspoon
Sugar, granulated	1 ½ cups
Corn syrup, light	1 cup
Salt	1/8 teaspoon
Vanilla	1 teaspoon

1. Place ½-cup water in the bowl of a stand mixer. 
2. Sprinkle over the gelatin; set aside. 
3. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the remaining water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. 
4. Allow the sugar to dissolve, but do not stir as this can cause the syrup to crack. 
5.  Simmer undisturbed over medium heat until the syrup reaches soft ball stage, or 240F when read on a candy thermometer. 
6. Pour the mixture into the bowl with the bloomed gelatin. 
7. Whip on low for 2 minutes to cool down the mixture. 
8. Add the vanilla, and whip on high for 10 to 12 minutes, until the mixture is thick, white, and fluffy. 
9. Store in an airtight container for up to 8 weeks. 

Recipe from biggerbolderbaking.com.

Pineapple sauce

Active: 10 minutes; Total: 20 minutes; Yield: 2 cups 

Pineapple, fresh, finely chopped	2 cups
Sugar, dark brown	1/3 cup
Salt, fine sea	¼ teaspoon
Cornstarch	1 tablespoon
Corn syrup	¼ cup
Lemon juice	1 teaspoon

1. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, salt, and cornstarch. 
2. Stir in the corn syrup and pineapple; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. 
3. Cook until the sauce starts to thicken, about 2 to 3 minutes. 
4. Remove from heat, and stir in the lemon juice. 
5. Cool completely before using; store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Strawberry sauce

Active: 10 minutes; Total: 20 minutes; Yield: 2 cups 

Strawberries, rinsed, hulled, coarsely chopped	1 pound
Sugar, granulated	1/3 cup
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon

1. Reserve one third of the chopped strawberries. 
2. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the remaining strawberries with the sugar. 
3. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens. 
4. Remove from heat, and stir in the reserved strawberries and vanilla. 
5. Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature; store in a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Caramel sauce

Active: 10 minutes; Total: 10 minutes; Yield: 1 ¼ cups 

Sugar, granulated	1 cup
Water	¼ cup
Butter, unsalted, cut into pieces	6 tablespoons
Cream, heavy	½ cup
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon
Salt, fine sea	Pinch

1. Add the sugar and water to a 3-quart saucepan; stir a little so it sits flat, even layer. 
2. Warm the pot over medium heat, and cook until the sugar dissolves, turns clear, and starts to bubble, about 3 to 4 minutes. (It will be cloudy at first, but will turn into a clear, bubbling liquid.) 
3. At this point, do not stir again; allow the pan to bubble, swirl the pan occasionally and brush down the sides as needed to prevent crystallization. 
4. Sugar will form clumps, but continue swirling and cooking until the mixture thickens and turns a deep amber color like honey (this can take anywhere from 8 to 12 minutes), keeping a watchful eye so the mixture doesn’t burn. 
5. Carefully add the butter, and whisk until completely melted. (The caramel will bubble up rapidly, so be careful and continue to whisk.) 
6. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and slowly pour in the cream, whisking constantly until all the cream has been incorporated. 
7.  Whisk in the vanilla and salt. 
8. Set aside to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then pour into a lidded glass jar to cool completely.  

Recipe from bellyfull.com.

Hot fudge sauce

Active: 5 minutes; Total: 10 minutes; Yield: 3 cups 

Cream, heavy	2 cups
Butter, unsalted	4 tablespoons
Sugar, light brown	½ cup
Sugar, granulated	¾ cup
Salt, fine sea	¼ teaspoon
Chocolate, bittersweet, broken into small pieces	2 ounces
Dutch cocoa, sifted	1 ¼ cups
Vanilla extract	½ teaspoon

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, butter, sugars, and salt. 
2. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat; simmering for 45 seconds. 
3. Add the chocolate, and whisk to dissolve. 
4. Remove from heat, add the cocoa, and whisk until no lumps remain. 
5. Return the pan to low heat, and simmer the sauce until glossy, whisking constantly, about 20 seconds. 
6. Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla. 
7. Serve warm. 

Recipe from NYCooking.com.

Double Dutch dark chocolate ice cream

Active: 20 minutes; Total: 8 hours 30 minutes; Yield: 1.5 quarts 

Cream, heavy	2 cups
Milk, whole	1 cup
Sugar, dark brown	¾ cup
Sugar, granulated	2 tablespoons
Double Dutch dark cocoa	6 tablespoons
Eggs	5 yolks
Espresso powder	1 tablespoon
Salt, kosher	¼ teaspoon
Vanilla extract	2 teaspoons
Bourbon	1 tablespoon

 

1. In a saucepan, whisk together the cream, milk, sugars, cocoa, yolks, espresso powder, and salt; the mixture will appear lumpy but it will smooth out as it cooks. 
2. Over medium heat, warm the custard while whisking constantly, just until it begins to steam ad is barely bubbling around the edges; don’t let it come to a boil. 
3. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and chocolate until smooth. 
4. Pour the custard into a blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend for 30 seconds to ensure all the cocoa powder is broken down for a very smooth texture. 
5. Cover the bowl, with plastic wrap resting against the surface of the custard, and refrigerate until well chilled, preferably overnight. 
6. Pour the chilled custard into your ice cream maker, and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until it has a soft-serve consistency. 
7. During the last minute of churning, add the bourbon. 
8. Scrape the ice cream into a lidded container, and freeze until firm, at least 8 to 10 hours. 

Recipe from curlygirlkitchen.com.

Blackberry-sage margarita

Active: 5 minutes; Total: 5 minutes; Serves: 1

Lime	½
Blackberries	6
Sage	2 leaves
Tequila	2 ounces
Triple sec	1 ounce
Simple syrup	½ ounce

1. Add 6 blackberries and 2 sage leaves to a cocktail shaker, and muddle. 
2. Squeeze in the lime juice, then add the tequila, triple sec, and simple syrup. 
3. Add ice, cover the shaker, and shake for 15 seconds. 
4. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. 
5. Garnish with sage and blackberries. 

Recipe from tastingtable.com.

One-pan chicken with basil-anchovy butter & shishito peppers

Active: 20 minutes; Total: 20 minutes; Serves: 4

Chichen thighs, boneless, skinless	1 pound
Salt, kosher	¼ teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon
Pepper, ground	¼ teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon
Garlic powder	¼ teaspoon
Olive oil	1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons
Butter, softened	1 ½ tablespoons
Basil, chopped	1 ½ tablespoons
Anchovies, minced	2
Shishito or Padrón peppers	6 cups
Lemon wedges for serving, charred if desired

1. Make three slits on one side of each chicken thigh; sprinkle with ¼-teaspoon salt, ¼-teaspoon pepper, and ¼-teaspoon garlic powder. 
2. Heat 1-tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. 
3. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 165F, 3 to 4 minutes per side; transfer to a platter. 
4. Meanwhile, combine the butter, basil, and anchovies in a small bowl. 
5. Add 2-tablespoons oil and peppers to the skillet. 
6. Cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until starting to blacken in spots, 2 to 3 minutes; transfer to a bowl, and sprinkle with the ¼-teaspoon salt. 
7. Top the chicken with the butter mixture, and serve with the peppers and lemon wedges, if desired. 

Recipe from www.eatingwell.com.