Banana-hazelnut cream with coconut milk and kiwi

This banana-hazelnut cream with coconut milk and kiwi tastes best when well chilled. Freezing it creates an ice cream-like dessert for all ages.

Vanilla pod: The most important type for the production of commercial vanilla pods is the climbing plant known as spice vanilla (true vanilla). It is sold under the names Bourbon vanilla, Mexican vanilla and Tahitian vanilla. A good quality pod is characterized by fine, white crystals on the surface. You should also pay attention to how flexible it is.

Cinnamon: Cinnamon is a spice made from the dried bark of cinnamon trees. Cinnamon owes its aroma mainly to cinnamon oil, which consists of 75 percent cinnamaldehyde. In Europe, cinnamon is used as a spice mainly for sweet dishes and drinks, but in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine it is also often added to hearty dishes. The cheaper cassia cinnamon or Chinese cinnamon in particular contains high doses of coumarin, which is harmful to health. Since the amount of coumarin in the better Ceylon cinnamon is only about a hundredth of that, this is preferable.

Cream vs. ice cream: If you want the cream to be more like ice cream, you can freeze the finished cream before adding the kiwi slices. However, you should not freeze the cream for too long and, more importantly, do not subject it to too many freeze-thaw cycles, otherwise the taste will suffer.

Scrape out the vanilla pulp: To use the pods, you can proceed as follows. Cut the pods in half on a cutting board with a sharp knife, but do not cut them all the way through. Use the flat side of the knife to carefully push the pod halves outwards. Now collect the seeds with a small spoon by gently pulling it along the inside of the pod.

Quick version: To save some time, you can make the recipe without freezing the bananas and put them in the fridge for 1-2 hours after they are ready to achieve a similar temperature.

Vanilla extract: As an alternative to vanilla beans, you can also use vanilla extract. Vanilla extract is relatively cheaper. One vanilla bean corresponds to the estimated sweetness of around 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar or 3-4 drops of vanilla extract.

Fruits: Depending on your taste, you can use additional fruits or replace the kiwi with another fruit. Bananas, for example, also go particularly well with strawberries or apples.