Pidapipó cookbook: Recipes from caramelised banana split to mint gelato

You can hardly scroll through Instagram without seeing a portion of this Italian delight. Lisa Valmorbida hares some recipes for the summer staple from her new book

A fresh take on an old classic: golden bananas with chocolate gelato is an irresistible treat

Caramelised banana split – Banana split caramellata

This is a classic banana split, tweaked. I had to include it because when I was growing up it was one of my favourite things in the world. Me and my best friend would always make banana splits when we were kids but this one is a little more adult than that, with a bit more technique involved. It’s still a banana split at heart, though.

Serves 4

100 ml (3½ fl oz) pouring (single/light) cream
1½ tablespoons icing (confectioners’) sugar, plus extra if necessary
2 ripe bananas
200 g (7 oz/2 scoops) Chocolate gelato (see below)
200 g (7 oz/2 scoops) Milk gelato (see below)
200 g (7 oz/2 scoops) Salted caramel gelato (see below)
8 amarena cherries
Peanut croccante
2 tablespoons glucose syrup
135 g (5 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
135 g (5 oz) roasted peanuts

Chocolate fudge sauce

250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) pouring (single/ light) cream
100 g (3½ oz) soft brown sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup or maple syrup
20 g (¾ oz) unsalted butter
200 g (7 oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into chunks

For the peanut croccante, add the glucose syrup and caster sugar to a small saucepan over a high heat. Cook, stirring, until caramelised and very dark brown in colour, then add the peanuts and mix together thoroughly. Carefully tip the mixture out onto the centre of a heatproof silicone mat, cover with non-stick baking paper and roll out with a rolling pin as thin as possible. Leave to cool, then pull off the paper and chop into small pieces. Set aside until needed (this will keep for months in an airtight container).

To make the chocolate fudge sauce, add the cream, sugar, golden syrup and butter to a heavy-based saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat, add the chocolate and whisk together until the chocolate has melted into the mixture and everything is well combined. Keep warm over a low heat.

Whip the cream and 2 teaspoons of the icing sugar together in a bowl to form soft peaks. Set aside. Slice the bananas lengthways in half and place cut-side up on a baking tray. Sprinkle the remaining icing sugar over the bananas to cover completely (adding a little more if you need) and caramelize with a blowtorch or place under a hot grill for a few minutes until nicely golden.

To serve, arrange the caramelised banana slices side-by-side on a serving plate. Place a scoop of each gelato next to one another in the centre of each banana and dollop over the cream. Pour over the fudge sauce (or alternatively serve this on the side) and top with the croccante and amarena cherries.

Chocolate gelato – Gelato al cioccolato

Makes 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz/10 scoops)

95 g (3¼ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
55 g (2 oz) dextrose
15 g (½ oz) skim milk powder
40 g (1½ oz) dark muscovado sugar
55 g (2 oz) Dutch (unsweetened) cocoa powder
3 g (1/8 oz) carob bean powder
460 g (1 lb) milk
115 ml (4 fl oz) pouring (single/light) cream
155 g (5½ oz) filtered water
50 g (1¾ oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into small chunks

Put the caster sugar, dextrose, skim milk powder, dark muscovado sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl and mix to combine.

Put the carob bean powder in a separate bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the sugar mixture and mix together well.

Pour the milk, cream and water into a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk in the carob bean powder mixture and continue to heat, whisking in the sugar mixture as you go, until it hits 85°C (185°F). Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and whisk together until the chocolate has melted into the mixture and everything is well combined. Pour into a suitable lidded container and leave to cool in the freezer for 1 hour, or until the mixture drops to 4°C (39°F).

Turn on your gelato maker so it begins the freezing process.

Pour the mixture into your gelato maker. Once the mixture reaches –4°C (25°F) or is the consistency of soft-serve ice cream (this should take about 30–45 minutes) detach the canister or scoop the gelato into a pre-cooled lidded container. Transfer to the freezer and leave for at least 1 hour to harden before serving.

Milk gelato – Gelato al fior di latte

Makes 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz/10 scoops)

135 g (5 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
35 g (1¼ oz) dextrose
20 g (¾ oz) skim milk powder
5 g (¼ oz) carob bean powder
645 g (1 lb 7 oz) milk
165 ml (5½ fl oz) pouring (single/light) cream

Put the sugar, dextrose and skim milk powder in a bowl and mix to combine. Put the carob bean powder in a separate bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the sugar mixture and mix together well.

Pour the milk and cream into a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk in the carob bean powder mixture and continue to heat, whisking in the sugar mixture as you go, until it hits 85°C (185°F). Remove from the heat, pour into a suitable lidded container and leave to cool in the freezer for 1 hour, or until the mixture drops to 4°C (39°F).

Turn on your gelato maker so it begins the freezing process.

Pour the mixture into your gelato maker. Once the mixture reaches –4°C (25°F) or is the consistency of soft-serve ice cream (this should take about 30–45 minutes) detach the canister or scoop the gelato into a pre-cooled lidded container. Transfer to the freezer and leave for at least 1 hour to harden before serving.

Salted caramel gelato – Gelato al caramello salato

Makes 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz/10 scoops)

135 g (5 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
150 g (5½ oz) filtered water
645 g (1 lb 7 oz) milk
165 ml (5½ fl oz) pouring (single/light) cream
35 g (1¼ oz) dextrose
20 g (¾ oz) skim milk powder
5 g (¼ oz) carob bean powder
7 g (¼ oz) sea salt

Put the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan and stir in the water to make a slurry. Put the pan on the stove top over a medium–high heat and leave for 3 minutes to caramelise (don’t stir it during this time, just leave it to do its thing). When the caramel is a nice dark brown, remove the pan from the stove and whisk in the milk and then the cream.

Put all the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Return the pan to the heat and gradually whisk in the combined ingredients until fully incorporated. Continue to heat, whisking as you go, until it hits 85°C (185°F). Remove from the heat, pour into a suitable lidded container and leave to cool in the freezer for 1 hour, or until the mixture drops to 4°C (39°F).

Turn on your gelato maker so it begins the freezing process. Pour the mixture into your gelato maker. Once the mixture reaches –4°C (25°F) or is the consistency of soft-serve ice cream (this should take about 30–45 minutes) detach the canister or scoop the gelato into a pre-cooled lidded container. Transfer to the freezer and leave for at least 1 hour to harden before serving.

(Lauren Bamford)

Rockmelon granita with whipped cream – Granita al melone con panna montata

The first time I had a granita with cream was in Italy. They put this really thick cream on top of the granita and then you eat it together. It’s such a good combination, really creamy, almost like a Weiss bar. Rockmelon is really good in granita. It’s a dense kind of fruit and the texture makes the granita less icy.

Serves 4

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) rockmelon (netted melon/ canteloupe), cut into small chunks
300 g (10½ oz) filtered water
200 g (7 oz) raw (demerara) sugar

Whipped cream

200 ml (7 fl oz) pouring (single/light) cream
20 g (¾ oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted

Add the rockmelon, water and raw sugar to a bowl and blend with a hand-held blender until completely smooth.

Pour the mixture into a pre-cooled stainless steel tray and put into the freezer. Every 30 minutes, remove and break up the ice crystals with a fork. Do this until icy and easy to scoop (this should take about 2 hours).

Add the cream and sifted icing sugar to a cold mixing bowl and whisk to form hard peaks. Spoon the granita into glasses and top each with a dollop of the whipped cream. Serve with spoons and straws.

(Lauren Bamford)

Fresh mint gelato – Gelato alla menta fresca

This has been one of my favourite gelato flavours since I first tasted it when working at Donovans. With this recipe you blend the mint with the base gelato mixture so you get a beautiful pale green colour as well as the refreshing mint flavour. Pay attention when straining the mixture because any pieces of mint leaves that are left can give the gelato a gritty texture. This is great with chocolate – sauce, pudding or cake.

Makes 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz/10 scoops)

115 g (4 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
30 g (1 oz) dextrose
15 g (½ oz) skim milk powder
5 g (¼ oz) carob bean powder
550 g (1 lb 3 oz) milk
195 ml (6½ fl oz) pouring (single/light) cream
35 g (1¼ oz) fresh mint leaves
90 g (3 oz) condensed milk

Put the sugar, dextrose and skim milk powder in a bowl and mix to combine. Put the carob bean powder in a separate bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the sugar mixture and mix together well.

Pour the milk and cream into a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk in the carob bean powder mixture and continue to heat, whisking in the sugar mixture as you go, until it hits 85°C (185°F). Remove from the heat, pour into a suitable lidded container and leave to cool in the freezer for 1 hour, or until the mixture drops to 4°C (39°F).

Turn on your gelato maker so it begins the freezing process. Add the mint and condensed milk to the mixture and blend with a hand-held blender until smooth.

Strain the mixture and transfer it to your gelato maker. Once it reaches –4°C (25°F) or is the consistency of soft-serve ice cream (this should take about 30–45 minutes) detach the canister or scoop the gelato into a pre-cooled lidded container. Transfer to the freezer and leave for at least 1 hour to harden before serving.

'Pidapipó: Gelato Eight Days a Week' by Lisa Valmorbida (Hardie Grant, £20) Photography © Lauren Bamford and Jesper Hede