I wait patiently for summer when I allow myself one occasion to dip creamy bananas into glossy chocolate, sprinkle them with crunchy nuts and salt and tuck them away in the freezer to transform into frozen decadence. My problem in the past was too thick chocolate which broke away in large chunks whenever I bit down, but last summer a lovely frozen banana saleslady at my local market told me to add some butter or vegetable oil to the chocolate to thin it out. That did the trick! It never ceases to amaze me how such a simple recipe can yield such a unique treat.
RECIPE
Makes 4 servings
4 ripe bananas, peeled
7-8 ounces dark chocolate (about 2 standard sized bars)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Toppings like sea salt, nuts, shaved coconut or sprinkles (optional)
1. Set a small pot of water on the stove over very low heat. Once the water is steaming, place a large bowl on top of the pot. Add the chocolate and butter to the bowl and allow them to melt slowly from the second-hand heat as you gently stir to combine. If you melt chocolate directly over stove heat, it will burn and seize up, so don’t skip this “double boiler” method.
2. Place the bananas in the melted chocolate one at a time (see IDEAS below) and spoon the chocolate over until they're fully coated. Lift bananas out, allowing excess chocolate to drip off, and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet or platter.
3. Sprinkle the dipped bananas with toppings of your choice and place in the freezer. Once frozen, eat one! Transfer extras to an airtight container or wrap them in tinfoil and return them to freezer for storing until you can enjoy them all.
IDEAS
Cut bananas in half and insert popsicle sticks before dipping to make a handy pop
Cut bananas into 1-2 inch rounds before dipping to make bite-sized treats (shown below)
Use toppings like chopped nuts, sprinkles, rock salt, crushed cookies, mini marshmallows, etc.
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