Chop Stick Treats

Last night I made one of our favorite desserts - Chocolate dipped frozen banana's.

They are a simple treat and can be prepared in advance or made to order. Whenever we have left over bananas that are getting soft or turning brown, I freeze them unpeeled for use in breads and batters. This past week the kids were away and before they over ripened I took the bananas on the counter, peeled them, impaled them with wooden chop sticks and froze them. I use a 1 gallon zip lock bag keeping them in a single layer. This step can be done in advance so you have them ready whenever you desire a savory treat. I prefer to use dark chocolate but for a party you could use Wilton Candy Melts (available on line @ http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?sku=pg_candymelts or in the cake decorating / candy making isle of your nearest craft store or Walmart) The great thing with candy melts is they come in a great variety of colors and are easy to work with. My personal experience is Wilton ones taste the best although there are other brands out there on the market.

I prefer to use a double boiler to melt my chocolate but if you are careful, you can use the microwave by using short burst of time with plenty of stirring in-between. Once your chocolate is melted, you can dip your frozen banana directly into it or if the container isn't big enough you can always spoon the chocolate over the banana and spread into a thin layer. If you act quickly you can decorate your banana with additional treats at this time. I prefer nuts on mine but sprinkles, colored sugar, candy, or whatever your heart desires! If you are making these for a special occasion you can place them on a cookie sheet covered lined with freezer paper (shiny side up) and place them into the freezer to finish setting up. In our house they are usually enjoyed immediately after they are finished and on occasionally while singing the following song!