How do you send chocoholics into ecstasy? Give 'em chocolate, of course. And a frozen banana is the perfect vehicle for the chocolate. For an after-dinner course that's eating fun for everyone, make this a do-it-yourself dipping-and-rolling dessert. A few simple preparations the day before make the dessert virtually trouble-free.
Yield: 6 servings
3 ripe bananas
1 cup raw walnut pieces
6 (1-ounce) squares dairy-free unsweetened chocolate
1 1/4 cups organic sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
- Peel the bananas and cut them in half crosswise. Insert a sturdy wooden skewer deeply into the center of the cut end, and place the bananas on a metal baking pan. Freeze for several hours or overnight.
- Coarsely grind the walnuts in a hand-crank nut mill, place them into a wide mouth bowl, and set them aside.
- To prepare the chocolate sauce, melt the chocolate squares in a 1-quart saucepan over very low heat, stirring frequently.
- Place the organic sugar into a small and add the boiling water. Stir well to dissolve the sugar completely.
- When chocolate is thoroughly melted, turn off the heat, and add the sweetened water, stirring until shiny and smooth.
- Pour the chocolate sauce into a wide mouth bowl. Remove the skewered bananas from the freezer and place them on a platter. Place the bowls of chocolate sauce and walnuts on the table.
- Instruct each person to firmly hold the skewer, roll the banana in the chocolate sauce to coat it, then roll in the ground nuts.