Apropos of nothing, here’s a recipe for something that can make things that suck a lot, suck a little bit less: Dark chocolate and coconut dipped frozen bananas, which I just made from scratch.
Instead of coconut, you can use crushed-up corn flakes, peanuts, rice krispies, or whatever else you think is tasty and have lying around.
I ripped and slightly revised this recipe from BecauseImAddicted, a fashion blog I really like by the lovely Geri H. (who used to work with me at GOOD). Here’s how to make them:
1. Slice up a banana or two or three, put them on a tray, and throw them in the freezer. You’re not freezing them at this point, you’re just making sure they don’t brown or get mushy while you prep the rest.
2. Now you need to melt your chocolate. I’m not a microwave person but if you are, you can put dark chocolate chips or chunks in a bowl and throw them in there. Check it every minute, for up to three. Or do it the old-fashioned way in a double-boiler or a makeshift-double-boiler. This is important: DO NOT LET ANY WATER GET IN THE CHOCOLATE. (I had to throw out two batches of chocolate before I figured this out, hence the all caps.) Water toughens melted chocolate, which makes it a real bitch for dipping. Another quick thing: Chocolate tends to hold its shape even when melted, so it may look solid but if you stir it, you’ll find it’s gooey. So keep an eye on it.
3. Put shredded unsweetened coconut (or substitute) onto a plate.
4. Remove your bananas from the freezer and start dipping. Coat each piece in chocolate, roll it in your flakes, then put it back on the tray. You may need to reheat the chocolate halfway through if it gets thick.
5. Once you’re done with all the pieces, throw the tray back in the freezer. Once they’ve frozen, you can put them in a ziplock. I found that taking them out of the freezer 10 minutes before I want one is the perfect amount of time to get it unfrozen enough to taste great, but still kinda icey.
Annnd voila. Do you have any three- or four-ingredient desserts to share?
