Creamy banana roll

This ice cream roll is rich with the sweet taste of bananas.

* Serves 8

• 6 ripe bananas
• 2 cups soy milk
• 6 tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
• 2 to 3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• flakes or curls of chocolate, to decorate
• 1/2 recipe chocolate sauce

Freeze the bananas in their skins for about 2 hours.

Peel, slice, and process the bananas in a food processor with the soy milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and sesame seeds until well blended. Spoon into a foil-lined baking sheet, spread out evenly, and freeze for 1 hour. Remove when it is still slightly soft. Then roll up (in jelly-roll style) into a cylinder, covering with a second layer of foil, and twisting the ends tightly to give the roll a good neat shape. Freeze for another hour until really firm.

To serve, unwrap the roll on a flat surface and shower all over with the cocoa powder. Transfer to a serving dish and decorate with chocolate curls, or drizzle with chocolate sauce. Serve sliced, with more chocolate sauce.

Variations:

• Creamy banana & coffee roll

Prepare the basic recipe, adding 4 tablespoons coffee syrup. Serve with coffee syrup or coffee liqueur instead of chocolate sauce.

• Creamy banana & toffee roll

Prepare the basic recipe, replacing the maple syrup with toffee sauce. Serve with more toffee sauce.

• Creamy banana & pineapple roll

When preparing the basic recipe, replace 2 bananas with 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple and serve with pineapple sauce.

• Creamy banana & pecan roll

Prepare the basic recipe, replacing the sesame seeds with 6 tablespoons roughly chopped toasted pecans. Replace the cocoa powder with 6 tablespoons very finely chopped toasted pecans and serve with chocolate or toffee sauce.