Chocolate covered frozen banana slices

I am getting a little ahead of myself here, but these chocolate covered frozen banana slices are perfect for Summer. There is no baking here, no pre-heating the oven or creaming butter and sugar. The hardest thing to do is not to freeze the roof of your mouth when you eat these :). Oh yes and... don't burn the chocolate when you melt it!  

You have two options when melting the chocolate into silky ribbons of decadence: microwave, or double boiler. The microwave is very simple: nuke the chocolate at 20 second intervals and stir until melted. Again, be careful not to melt it longer than that because the chocolate will burn. Burned chocolate looks grainy, and slightly lumpy. It will not set, so be careful! 

If you are using a double boiler, place a large glass or ceramic bowl above a pot of gently simmering water, and the steam will heat the chocolate, melting it. Be careful to stir the chocolate with both methods, so you don't burn it! In regards to the bananas, small slices of banana (about half an inch thick) ensure a greater chocolate to banana ratio- which is pretty awesome. More chocolate, more toppings, more crunch. 

Also, anything "mini" is absolutely adorable. Call me crazy, but these are just cute! They're also the perfect "healthy" snack to have a stash of in your freezer for when you come back from the gym, or come inside from a hot summer's day. If you make them with dark chocolate, and toasted nuts they're pretty healthy- no added sugars other than the scant few grams in dark chocolate. 

Ingredients: 

2 bananas, sliced as you wish 

1 bag of dark chocolate chips (12 ounces)

Chopped toasted nuts of choice 

Optional toppings: coconut flakes, sprinkles

Directions: 

1. Slice bananas and arrange on a tray. Freeze for about one hour. 

2. Prep your toppings: coarsely chop nuts, and put in bowl. Arrange other toppings in bowls. 

3. Place the chocolate chips in a medium sized glass or ceramic bowl. If using a double boiler, place the bowl over a pot with gently simmering water (heat on low). Stir until the chocolate is melted. Keep the burner on low, and stir to keep the chocolate on the bottom from burning. 

4. Using forks, dip one piece of banana at a time into the chocolate, pausing to let the excess drip off. You can scrape the fork against the edge of the bowl to release the dripping chocolate. Carefully place the banana slice in the bowl of toppings, turning to coat. Alternatively, you can place the slice on a tray covered with parchment paper, and then sprinkle the toppings on top. 

5. Keep going until the tray is filled and everything is dipped. 

6. Put the tray in the freezer until frozen (a couple of hours). You can transfer them to a container, where they will keep for... well they never seem to last more than a few days before they're gone ; ).