dessert Archives - Page 6 of 8 -

September 25, 2014

Frozen Chocolate Banana Pops

Yes, it’s now officially the first week of Fall and I am already taking a break from Fall flavors to discuss the awesomeness of these frozen chocolate banana pops. I had been saving these cute wooden sticks from The TomKat Studio for what seems like forever and I finally decided that these frozen banana pops were worthy of their use.

Eating these take me back to carefree childhood days and I feel like I’m eating something completely indulgent, except they are actually not so bad for you since they are basically just frozen bananas wrapped in some dark chocolate. Banana pops are fun and simple to make. First, cut each peeled banana into small pieces and insert a wooden stick into each piece. (I cut the bananas into fourths and cut the tips off of the ends so that each piece had a more uniform shape.) Next, freeze the bananas for at least a couple of hours. It’s important to be patient and not skip this step. Now is when the fun begins! Melt the chocolate with a bit of coconut oil so that the chocolate becomes slightly thinned and velvety smooth. Take the frozen banana pop and quickly dip it into the melted chocolate. Allow the excess chocolate (is there such a thing as excess chocolate?!) to drip off the banana and watch it solidify into a yummy chocolate shell. If you want to add a topping, dip the chocolate covered banana into the topping before the chocolate completely solidifies. If you wait too long, the toppings will not stick, but if you dip too soon, you will have a sticky mess. Takes a little practice, but you will get it, I promise. I think I am going to go order a huge supply of these wooden sticks because from now on, we are going to be making these all of the time. I’m thinking birthday parties, playdates, family nights…. chocolate banana pops for everyone. Oooh yeah.

Frozen Chocolate Banana Pops

Serves: 16-20 pops

Ingredients

2 3.5-ounce dark chocolate bars (I used bars with 72% cacao)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon coconut oil
4-5 bananas, cut into pieces
sprinkles, coconut, or crushed peanuts for dipping

Instructions

Insert wooden stick into each banana piece. Freeze for at least 2 hours.
Set a small glass mixing bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water and place the chocolate and coconut oil in the mixing bowl. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Pour the chocolate into a medium sized glass for easier dipping.
Quickly dip each frozen banana piece into the melted chocolate and allow the excess chocolate to drip off. After the excess chocolate has dripped off, but before the chocolate is completely solidified, dip the chocolate into desired topping. Serve immediately or return to freezer to serve later.

September 8, 2014

Peach Ginger Crumble

I love the changing seasons and autumn is always one that I look forward to, but now that the school year has started, I already miss the slower and more carefree days of summer. Peaches are still abundantly available around here and this peach ginger crumble is my way of letting summer linger just a little bit longer.

I made three versions of this peach crumble before it was just the way I wanted and as a result, we have been eating lots of peach crumble for breakfast. Having sweet baked juicy peaches first thing in the morning has been such a pleasant way to begin our days though. The crumble topping is a simple mixture of oats, almonds, a little bit of whole wheat flour, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Substitute almond flour for the whole-wheat flour to keep it gluten-free. The ginger flavor is mild, but leave out the fresh ginger if you have an aversion for ginger. It will still be delicious! As I made this I had it in my mind to serve it with a big dollop of greek yogurt, but in the end I enjoyed eating it plain the most. Make this peach ginger crumble as a sweet and whole-grain way to keep summer around for just a little longer.

Peach Ginger Crumble

Ingredients

Peach Filling

5 cups sliced peaches, about 5 medium peaches
1½ tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon salt

Crumble Topping

1½ cups rolled oats
½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons coconut oil
4 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375.
In a mixing bowl, gently combine the peaches, cornstarch, maple syrup, lemon juice, ginger, and salt. Pour into a 10-inch round baking dish.
In another mixing bowl, stir together the oats, almonds, flour, and salt. Add the coconut oil and maple syrup and mix together until mixture is evenly coated. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the peaches.
Bake for 40 minutes, until crumble is golden and peaches are softened and bubbly. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm or chilled.

August 25, 2014

Wild Blueberry Pie with Almond Oat Crumble

Wild Blueberries make me reminisce about childhood summer vacations in Maine. I have vivid memories of hiking along the breathtaking coastline, visiting quaint little towns, devouring lobster rolls and fresh clam chowder, and picking wild blueberries. Maine is the only place where I have ever seen wild blueberries grown. They are much smaller than the blueberries commonly seen in grocery stores, but they are sweeter and have an even more intense blueberry flavor. I have not been able to find fresh wild blueberries anywhere locally so I used frozen wild blueberries here in this pie. The wild blueberries make this pie really spectacular, but you can also substitute regular blueberries if you cannot find wild. The almond crumble topping made from almond paste and oats enhances the whole blueberry experience. I make this pie every summer and dream about vacationing in Maine.

Wild Blueberry Pie with Almond Oat Crumble

Ingredients

Crust

½ cup + 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon natural cane sugar
½ cup (8 tablespoons) of cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
2-4 tablespoons ice water

Filling

⅔ cup natural cane sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
32 ounces fresh or frozen wild blueberries, about 7 cups
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Crumble

⅓ cup old-fashioned oats
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
4 ounces almond paste, broken into small pieces, about ¾ cup
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ teaspoon salt
Vanilla ice cream for serving

Instructions

Crust

Add the flours, salt, and sugar to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 times, or until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
While the food processor is running, gradually add the water and process until dough just comes together, no more than 30 seconds. Start with the minimum amount of water and increase if dough is too crumbly.
Form the dough into a flat circular disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
On a lightly floured board, roll dough into a circle about ⅛-inch thick. Carefully transfer the crust into the pie dish and trim the overhanging dough with a knife. Crimp the edges as desired.
Chill crust in the refrigerator while preparing the filling and topping.

Filling

In a large pot, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. With a wooden spoon, sir in the blueberries and lemon juice. Stir gently over medium heat until mixture thickens and becomes bubbly, about 12-15 minutes.
Chill filling until cool, about 1 hour.

Crumble

Add the oats, flour, almond paste, butter,and salt into the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture begins to hold together. Transfer to a small bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Assembly

Preheat the oven to 400.
Pour the blueberry filling into the chilled pie crust. Using your index finger and thumb, pinch small pieces of the almond oat crumble and sprinkle evenly over the filling.
Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crust and topping become golden and the filling bubbles, about 45-50 minutes.
Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Notes

adapted from Bon Appetit