Sunday, November 21, 2010

Soft Serve Surprise


The picture below features my breakfast from this morning. What does it look like to you?

Soft serve chocolate ice cream with a little dollop of peanut butter? Or perhaps chocolate pudding with nut butter garnish? A chocolate smoothie in a bowl?

Mmmmmmm....tasty.

Would you believe that little glass dish contains only three ingredients: Banana, unsweetened cocoa powder, and all-natural roasted peanut butter (only one ingredient in the peanut butter: roasted peanuts!).

I know. It's amazing, isn't it? I first read about "Banana Soft Serve" in the blog world this summer. Everyone raved about the wondrous mystery of placing frozen banana chunks in a food processor, whirring for a minute or two, and opening the lid to find what appeared to be soft serve ice cream.

I was skeptical at first. I mean, come on: Don't frozen bananas thrown into a food processor simply produce...food-processed bananas?

A few weeks ago I put my curiosities to rest and set out to experiment with this recipe. One frozen banana and 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder went into the processor and, lo and behold! Banana soft serve came out. Garnish with a dollop of roasted nut butter and we're in business.

This delicious dish has served as my dessert many evenings since I discovered it, but, as evidenced this morning, it makes a great breakfast treat, or after-work snack as well. If you're feeling especially decadent, throw in your favorite DQ Blizzard mix-ins--chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, etc. (although, if I'm in the mood for those types of treats, I'd rather just bake a real dessert, you know?)

At any rate, I'm now a Banana Soft Serve Believer. I'm on the bandwagon. It's never felt so good to follow the crowd.

Banana Soft Serve
(recipe from food bloggers everywhere)

This treat is wonderful as a snack, breakfast side, or for dessert when you need a break from all the holiday treats that will soon surround you.

Ingredients:
  • 1 banana, cut into chunks and frozen solid
  • 1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
  • Optional: a little nut butter for garnish
Directions:
Place frozen banana chunks in a food processor. Process for at least a minute, whirring until it appears whipped and takes on the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. Add in cocoa powder and process until just combined. Enjoy with a dollop of nut butter if you so choose :)

13 comments:

  1. yuuum! I definitely thought it was soft serve- makes breakfast look even more appealing!

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  2. Right? I remember raising both eyebrows at the situation until I tried it like a month ago. Holy wow!

    I haven't tried it with cocoa powder though - next banana!

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  3. Holy wow this is a cool recipe. I love chocolate in the morning!

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  4. I made banana soft serve the other night for dessert! LOVE.

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  5. Isn't it amazing?? I was skeptical at first but the consistency it amazing!

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  6. that soft serve looks so good!

    xo

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  7. I love making choco-banana soft serve! It's a bit of a struggle with only a magic bullet...sometimes I do have to add a tablespoon of milk to make it happen.....but when it happens, it's delicious!

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  8. I was really skeptical about trying this too..I actually forgot about it, so thanks for the reminder--I'll have to give it a shot! :-)

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  9. haha I'm on the bandwagon too, it's totally fine. It's so good though! We make strawberry banana soft serve all the time :)

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  10. It is getting a little cold for banana soft serve but it's flipping delicious!

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  11. Awesome!! I'd been wanting to try it with PB, but with that and cocoa powder must be delicious! Ever since I made it, my browning bananas get sentenced to the freezer. :)

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  12. i totally made this all the time this summer! once, i even had frozen a banana in a tupperware (i usually freeze them in foil) and sent it to work with my husband for his lunch, thinking it was a corn soup. he called and was like, uhhh this is NOT corn soup. :)

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