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 dark 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.

Double Dutch dark chocolate ice cream

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

Cream, heavy	2 cups
Buttermilk	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
Chocolate, dark (around 60%), chopped	3 ounces
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 and 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 mildly adapted from curlygirlkitchen.com.

Bastani irani (rosewater & saffron ice cream)

Eggs	6 large yolks
Cream, heavy	1 ½ cups
Milk, whole	1 ½ cups
Sugar	¾ cup
Salt, kosher	½ teaspoon
Saffron, finely ground	½ teaspoon
Rosewater, preferably Sadaf brand	¼ cup
Vanilla extract	½ teaspoon
Roses, dried	Garnish

1. Set a medium bowl in a large bowl of iced water. 
2. In another medium bowl, whisk the yolks until pale, 1 to 2 minutes. 
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the cream with the milk, sugar, salt, and saffron. 
4. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat, whisking until the sugar is completely dissolved. 
5. Very gradually whisk half of the hot cream mixture into the beaten yolks in a thin stream, then whisk this mixture back into the saucepan. 
6. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard is thick enough to lightly coat the back of the spoon, about 12 minutes; don’t let it boil. 
7. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into the bowl set in the iced water. 
8. Let the custard cool completely, stirring occasionally. 
9. Stir in the rosewater and vanilla. 
10. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the custard, and refrigerate until well chilled, about 4 hours. 
11. Pour the custard base into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 
12. Transfer the ice cream to a chilled 9-by-4-inch metal loaf pan, cover, and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours. 
13. Serve garnished with the dried roses. 

Recipe from Food&Wine Magazine, March 2017.

Building a better banana split

Strawberries, rinsed, hulled, coarsely chopped	1 pint
Cream, heavy	1 pint + 2/3 cup + ½ cup
Half-n-half	1 ½ pints
Eggs, lightly beaten	2 large
Sugar, granulated	1 ½ cups + 1/3 cup
Flour	1 teaspoon
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon
Cocoa powder, Dutch processed	1 tablespoon + ¼ cup
Sugar, dark brown	¼ cup + 2/3 cup
Salt	¼ teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon
Cornstarch	1 tablespoon
Corn syrup	¼ cup + ½ cup
Pineapple, fresh, finely chopped	2 cups
Lemon juice	1 teaspoon
Chocolate, bittersweet, chopped	3 ounces + 3 ounces
Butter, unsalted	2 tablespoons
Almonds, chopped, toasted	½ cup
Banana, peeled, split in half lengthwise	1 large
Cherries, maraschino	2

1. Set aside about one-third of the chopped strawberries. 
2. Combine the remaining strawberries and 1/3-cup sugar in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. 
3. Bring the mixture 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 1-teaspoon vanilla. 
5. Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature; store in a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. 
6. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, 1 ½-cups sugar, flour, and 1-teaspoon vanilla until creamy; add 1-pint cream and half-n-half. 
7. Divide the custard equally into three smaller bowls. 
8. Cover one bowl of plain vanilla with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator. 
9. In one bowl, whisk in 1-tablespoon cocoa powder; cover with plastic wrap and chill. 
10. In the last bowl, whisk in 1-cup of the strawberry sauce; cover with plastic wrap and chill. 
11. Pour the vanilla custard into your favorite ice cream making machine and churn into a frozen confection, following the manufacture’s instructions; store overnight in an airtight container to make the ice cream freeze harder. 
12. Repeat with the chocolate and strawberry custards, cleaning between batches. 
13. Meanwhile, make the pineapple sauce by combining the 1/3-cup dark brown sugar, salt, and cornstarch in a saucepan. 
14. Stir in ¼-cup corn syrup and pineapple. 
15. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. 
16. Cook until it starts to thicken, about 2 to 3 minutes. 
17. Remove from heat, and stir in the lemon juice. 
18. Cool completely before using; store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. 
19. In a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the 2/3-cup cream, ½-cup corn syrup, 1/3-cup brown sugar, ¼-cup cocoa powder, salt, and 3-ounces chocolate to a boil. 
20. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
21. Remove from heat, and stir in the remaining chocolate, butter, and 1-teaspoon vanilla, stirring until smooth. 
22. Let cool for 20 to 30 minutes before using; store in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute until its pourable but still thick. 
23. Whip ½-cup cream until stiff peaks form; spoon into a pastry bag that has a star tip attached, and chill until needed. 
24. Place the banana in a long boat dish. 
25. Place a large scoop of chocolate ice cream between the split banana in the center of the dish. 
26. Add an equally large scoop of vanilla and strawberry ice cream on either side of the chocolate. 
27. Spoon the pineapple sauce over the vanilla ice cream. 
28. Spoon the strawberry sauce over the strawberry ice cream. 
29. Pour the hot fudge over the chocolate ice cream. 
30. Generously pipe two large blobs of whipped cream between the ice cream scoops, and sprinkle with toasted almonds. 
31. Top the cream blobs with cherries.