Chocolate Dipped Bananas Food

CHOCOLATE-COVERED BANANAS

Steps:

• Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of gently simmering water. Stir just until melted.
• Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Insert a popsicle stick in one end of each banana piece. Dip banana, one piece at a time, in chocolate, spooning on additional chocolate to cover.
• Sprinkle each banana with peanuts, and set on prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm, 20 minutes, or up to 3 days.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED FROZEN BANANAS

Steps:

• Dipping decorations: granola, chopped nuts, sprinkles, jimmies, crushed cookies, and toasted coconut
• Line a sheet pan with waxed paper. Cut 1-inch off the end of each banana. Insert a popsicle stick into the cut-end of each banana, pushing the stick halfway in, leaving the other end exposed for use as a handle. Place the bananas on the sheet pan and freeze 1 hour.
• Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally.
• Arrange the dipping decorations on several flat plates. Working with 1 banana at a time, dip it in the chocolate and turn to completely coat (spoon some on, if needed). Roll the dipped banana in the desired decorations, transfer to the sheet pan, and return to the freezer.
• Once frozen, store the bananas in an airtight container.
• Serving suggestion: To serve at a kid's party, paint a hunk of styrofoam and stick the banana handles in the top, so they stand upright.

CHOCOLATE DIPPED BANANAS

Steps:

• Peel and cut the bananas in half crosswise, so that you have 8 pieces. Place peeled bananas on sticks. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper. Place bananas on the cookie sheet in the freezer, keep them in there as long as possible, at least 10 minutes. Heat chocolate bits with butter in a double boiler over low heat until the chocolate melts and butter is incorporated. Dip the chilled bananas in chocolate and roll with your favorite topping. Chill or freeze until ready to serve.

FROZEN CHOCOLATE-DIPPED BANANAS WITH PEANUT BRITTLE

Steps:

• Line a large baking sheet with wax paper.
• Peel bananas and carefully insert a popsicle stick into bottom end of each banana, halfway up stick. Arrange bananas on the baking sheet and freeze until firm but not frozen hard, about 1 hour. (You don't want the bananas so cold that the chocolate solidifies before you have a chance to add the peanut brittle.)
• Make Peanut Brittle While Bananas Are Freezing:
• Butter a rimmed baking sheet. Combine peanuts, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan, and bring slowly to a boil over medium heat, stirring.
• Position a candy thermometer so that it can rest on side of pan with bulb in mixture. Slowly boil, without stirring but tilting and swirling mixture in pan if it begins to color unevenly. Cook until deep golden and temperature reaches 295°F on thermometer, about 5 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat and stir in butter and baking soda (mixture will foam up). Immediately pour molten candy onto baking sheet. Let cool completely, 45 minutes to 1 hour, then pry from baking sheet, and finely chop.
• Assemble Bananas:
• Melt chocolate in a deep metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove bowl of chocolate from pan. Working with 1 banana at a time, set banana in bowl and coat most of banana evenly in chocolate by spooning it on and smoothing it with the back of the spoon.
• Immediately sprinkle peanut brittle over chocolate coating while chocolate is still wet, then return coated banana to wax paper-lined sheet, and let it set while coating remaining bananas. Refreeze bananas, if necessary, to firm up chocolate.

CHOCOLATE DIPPED FROZEN BANANAS

Steps:

• Cut off a inch off the bottom of each unpeeled banana, and gently insert a popsicle stick into each one. Then unpeel bananas. Place banana's onto a baking sheet and freeze until frozen.
• In a double boiler melt chocolate chips and shortening. Dip frozen bananas into melted chocolate, then roll in coconut, chopped nuts, sprinkles, or anything you want.
• Eat immediatly or freeze to eat them another time. Enjoy!