Frozen Chocolate Almond Banana Bites

I'm in the middle of a really intense art class for my Masters degree right now and have been creating "art" for about 14 hours a day, so this week I'm going to share with you a really easy yet delicious recipe I have slightly adapted from Angela Liddon's She Glows cookbook.  This treat is perfect for hot summer nights when you are craving ice cream but don't want all the sugar.  There are just a few ingredients, and they are easy to put together.  If you've ever had frozen chocolate covered bananas at the fair (or Folk Fest), you will love these.  You will notice in the picture that I added raw cacao nibs to mine, but I don't think it is necessary.  You could try adding shredded coconut, though.

Serves: that depends on how much will power you have! (Makes about 24 pieces)

Ingredients:

2 large bananas, peeled and sliced into 24 thick rounds
3 Tbsp natural peanut, almond, or other nut butter (my favourite is Mystery Butter, which is a combination of cashew butter and almond butter - not such a mystery...)
1 tsp coconut oil
2 oz 70% chocolate
24 roasted almonds

Directions:

1. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place the 24 banana rounds on the paper.

2. Top each piece of banana with 1/2 tsp of nut butter.  Place one whole roasted almond into the nut butter, on top of the banana round.

3. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

4.  In a small saucepan over a very low heat, melt the coconut oil and chocolate together.

5. Using a teaspoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over the frozen banana-almond pieces.

6. If you want, stick a toothpick (unflavoured!) into each piece.  Cover with plastic wrap again, and place back in the freezer for 15 - 30 minutes to firm up.  Once the pieces are frozen, you can either eat them or transfer them to a freezer bag to store for longer.  If you store them longer, partially thaw them at room temperature for a few minutes before eating them.  Enjoy!

Shopping Tips:

1. Many different kinds of nut butter can be found in the natural foods section of any major grocery store.

2. You can buy roasted almonds, or bake them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 - 7 minutes to make your own.