This is the world’s easiest ice cream. It takes literally a minute to put together, and doesn’t require an ice cream maker. You just toss everything in a blender, then pour the mixture into a container and freeze it, so there’s no excuse for even the machineless not to enjoy homemade ice cream. The one caveat is that the generous amount of alcohol is necessary to prevent the ice cream from freezing too hard. The good news is that all that booze means you don’t have to share your ice cream with the kids.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 3 cups (750 ml)

　　6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

　　1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (280 ml) whole or low-fat milk

　　1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (280 ml) Irish cream liqueur, such as Bailey’s Irish Cream

　　3 very ripe medium bananas, peeled and cut into chunks

　　3 tablespoons (45 ml) dark rum

　　

Step 1

In a small heatproof bowl, combine the chocolate and milk. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat.

　　

Step 2

Pour the liqueur into a blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the bananas, rum, and the melted chocolate mixture and purée until smooth.

　　

Step 3

Pour the mixture into a shallow plastic container, cover, and freeze until solid enough to scoop, at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.