Robinson's Crankshaft Recipe

Prepare custard

In a medium saucepan, combine whole milk, heavy cream and half of the granulated sugar (1.5 tbs). Warm over medium heat until steam appears and small bubbles form at the edge, do not boil.

In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until slightly pale. Temper the yolks by slowly whisking in about 1/2 cup of the warmed milk mixture, then pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan.

Cook the mixture over medium-low, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (170–175°F / 77–80°C). Remove from heat.

Whisk in vanilla bean paste (or extract), instant vanilla pudding mix and banana liqueur or extract if using. Stir in the mashed ripe banana until fully incorporated. Allow mixture to cool slightly.

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits and banana fibers. Cover with plastic wrap pressed to the surface and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Once chilled, churn the custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze 1–2 hours until firmer but still scoopable.

Warm the Biscoff cookie butter gently in a microwave-safe bowl in 15–20 second bursts, stirring between, until slightly fluid but not hot. Stir in neutral oil 1 tablespoon at a time until a pourable, ribbon-like consistency is reached. Adjust with more oil if necessary. Taste and add sea salt to balance sweetness.

Place tablespoon-sized dollops of the warmed cookie butter on a parchment-lined tray and freeze for 20–30 minutes to firm slightly (this helps create blotches/chunks when mixed into ice cream). Reserve some cookie butter warmed for ribboning during assembly.

Prepare the crushed wafer mixture by combining crushed Nilla wafers and crushed Biscoff cookies in a shallow bowl. Mix to an even crumb.

To line and coat the jars: lightly brush the inside lip and upper 2 inches of each jar with about 1 tsp of cold water, then spoon or pipe a thin layer of vanilla icing around the rim and inside top of the jar. Immediately roll the icinged area in the crushed wafer mixture so the crumbs adhere. Press lightly to set. Return jars to the refrigerator for 10 minutes to firm icing.

Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the crushed crumbs for final garnish.

Spoon a couple tablespoons of warmed vanilla sauce or extra icing into the bottom of each prepared jar and swirl it up the sides for a visible vanilla drizzle lining.

Scoop a layer (about 1 cup) of banana pudding ice cream into the jar, gently flattening. Drop 4–6 frozen Biscoff dollops into the ice cream layer spaced apart to create blotches.

Add another 1/2–1 cup of ice cream to fill nearly to the top, then use the reserved warm cookie butter to create a thin ribbon: drizzle about 1 tablespoon around the top layer so it streaks through. Push a few Nilla Wafer crumbs into the top layer so they stick to the ice cream and jar rim.

Place the filled jar into the freezer for 30 minutes to set so the internal ribboning holds shape.

When ready to serve, remove jar from freezer and top with a generous swirl of whipped cream (about 1/4 cup).

Place a Twinkie across the top, then lay a whole banana (leave peel on for visual effect; if serving to eat, slice in half lengthwise) leaning against the Twinkie. Arrange 3 Nilla Wafers and 2 Biscoff cookies around the whipped cream.

Finish with a drizzle of warmed vanilla sauce or extra cookie butter over the whipped cream and cookie garnish. Sprinkle the reserved crushed crumbs over the top and around the rim for extra texture.

Serve immediately with a long spoon. Keep any uneaten assembled jars covered and frozen; allow to sit 3–5 minutes at room temperature before eating for scoopability.