'Monkey Bites'

Hardly need a recipe for these. Saw them in a magazine promoted as a 'better for you' frozen dessert.

Ingredients:
banana(s)
peanut butter
chocolate
optional garnish: sea salt or peanuts

Directions:
Slice bananas; freeze the slices for about an hour - on a cookie sheet lightly coated with non-stick spray. Spread half the slices with peanut butter; top with the other half of the slices, then refreeze for another hour. Melt chocolate (chips, broken up chocolate bars...) in a double boiler. Dip the peanut-butter-banana bites in the chocolate. Top with coarse sea salt or half of a peanut. The 'Monkey Bites' can be returned to the freezer for a frozen treat, but they'll also keep equally well in the fridge for a softer bite.

Banana Custard (Pie)

I wasn't really feeling like more pie -- having just recently finished leftovers from apple and pumpkin pies from Thanksgiving! :) -- and generally, cream pies aren't my favorite anyway; but I had a bunch of bananas leftover from a previous recipe which would have gone bad soon. So...I just baked the recipe in a casserole dish for a custard on it's own. It's not a recipe I'll probably do again; doesn't look much like a banana cream/custard pie, with or without the pie crust. It tasted alright -- served with whip cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon --  but the consistency was odd (mealy).

Ingredients:
3 bananas
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp ginger
¼ tsp salt
4 eggs
½ C milk
½ C heavy cream
1/3 C light brown sugar

And, to make it a banana cream pie: 1 unbaked pie shell


Directions:
Peel and cut bananas in thirds, place in blender with lemon juice, vanilla, ginger and salt. Process until smooth. Beat eggs lightly with fork. Add milk, cream, sugar and do not over beat. Fold into banana mixture, turn into unbaked pastry shell. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and bake 50 minutes until custard is set.

Broiled Fruit Desserts

More of a reminder than a recipe. I usually do this with apples or bananas (I almost always have one or the other around), but I have done the same with peaches and plums; other fruits could work too.

Slice the fruit, thinly, and place it in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil and lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray. I often 'dot' it with butter or sprinkle lightly with lemon juice. If desired, sprinkle with white or brown sugar. Sometimes I use sugar-cinnamon. Put it under the broiler long enough for the fruit to brown and begin to carmelize. If you want, turn the fruit and brown both sides.

The fruit can also be browned in a fry pan (with butter), or toasted on the grill.

Pictured: Apples...like apple pie, without the crust.

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

The original recipe was for a "Coffee Banana Smoothie", but I can't stand coffee. For those of you who DO drink coffee...use ½ C cold coffee and 2 tsp sugar instead of the chocolate syrup.

1 banana
1 C milk
1/3 C chocolate syrup*
½ C ice

Peel and slice banana. Place all ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth. Enjoy!

* I used Myrtle's Hot Fudge Sauce - thinned down with some extra milk.

Chocolate Fondue

So simple...so delicious!

1 C evaporated milk
12 oz chocolate pieces
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until chocolate is melted. Transfer to fondue pot (or crock pot, like I do). Serve with sliced fruit, or cubed bread, yellow cake, angel food cake...

The chocolate : suit your taste: milk, semi-sweet, dark... The evaporataed milk : lots of similar recipes us heavy cream in roughly the same proportions; either will work.

For a tastey twist, try adding a shot of espresso or strong coffee (may need to reduce the milk or cream), or a tablespoon or two of your favorite liqueur or syrup.

Banana Bread (w/ chocolate chips)

1 C shortening
1 C sugar
3 eggs
3 bananas, mashed
2 1/2 C flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 C nuts (optional)

Cream sugar, shortening and eggs. Add mashed bananas. Add--all at once--flour, soda and salt; mix thoroughly. Stir in vanilla (& nuts, if desired).

Pour batter into greased loaf pans, or muffin tins. Bake at 350°, 45 minutes (loaf pans) or 25 minutes (muffins). Makes 2 loaves or about 18 muffins.

Forget the nuts (I'm allergic anyway), throw in 1 C of chocolate chips and turn this into a dessert. :)