Nearly 20 years after the debut of "Arrested Development," I discovered that the banana stand thing is real.
On a brilliant Orange County afternoon, I recently found myself wandering around Balboa Island, which is the home of a robust and fiercely competitive frozen banana economy. I had neither expected to find myself in town nor discover such a wealth of frozen banana options.
RELATED: Ice cream loaf is your new favorite kitchen sink frozen treat
I only wish I'd been able to stay in California longer to determine a favorite. What I can do, however, is recreate a Bluth family delicacy in my New York home in relatively little time.
Dipped in dark chocolate and coated in sprinkles, a frozen banana just feels like the kind of thing you should have in your hand while strolling toward a ferris wheel (even when reality brings you April showers on the East Coast). It's an easy slice of sunshine, any time.
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Recipe: Balboa Island Frozen Bananas
Inspired by CucinaByElena
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas, peeled and cut in half
- 6 popsicle sticks
- 8 ounces chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Toppings of choice: sprinkles; crushed nuts; cookie, pretzel or graham cracker crumbs
Directions
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Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
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Cut each banana in half. Insert a popsicle stick into the cut end.
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Place all of the bananas on wax paper and freeze for 1 hour, or until firm.
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Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl with the butter. Melt in the microwave for about 30 seconds and stir. (You may need to microwave the mixture some more; do it in 10-second intervals until everything is melted.)
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Meanwhile, lay the toppings on separate plates, or in different piles on a large sheet pan.
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Remove the bananas from the freezer. Dip one banana at a time in the chocolate, coating it well. (You'll need to spoon some around to get it covered.)
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Roll each banana in your toppings of choice to coat well.
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Return to the freezer to firm up further, or eat right away, Bluth style.
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More simple desserts we love:
- Easy individual ice cream cakes make every day a party
- Treat yourself to a four-ingredient, single-serving s'mores milkshake this summer
- This addictive soft-serve ice cream has only three ingredients, one of which is optional
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