Frozen Cookie Dough Wrapped Banana Pops

 

If I wasn't in such a rush today, I would tell you all about this little photo session I had with my grandson last week, and how trying that fifteen minutes was for both of us.

I would tell you  how he "fell down" in a pile of soot and ashes and dirt before I even snapped the first picture, and how deep in my heart, I feel like this may have been a cold and calculated move on his part, to throw the whole session into a downward spiral.  (Three year olds can be very shrewd and crafty, in case you didn't know.)

And I'd tell you how I had to chase him around the yard and beg him to look at the camera while he mocked me with his callous attitude and icy stare.

See his face?  He is scorning his grandmother.

And when he tossed my Nikon D700 to the ground after I set it down momentarily in his little rocking chair, I really started to question his actions.

I told him he better examine his three year old heart.

But all that is just hopping down a bunny trail and I am pressed for time.  And you're just here for the pops, right?  

So last week it was quinoa.  This week it's cookie dough on a stick.  

Because sometimes I am quinoa, and sometimes I am cookie dough a stick.

And it may be a little bit odd that one instagram photo could inspire a recipe, but it did.  One of my instagram friends posted a photo of cookie dough on a stick and my brain just wouldn't let it go, so I let it mull and this is what happened.

These are fun and good.  I think you will like them.  You may even love them.  I did.  Read the notes.

PS.  I had something happy happen to me.  You can read about it here.  Thank you Just a Pinch!:)

PPS.  Have a wonderful Easter.  And remember the reason for it.

My notes:

-I used two different kinds of cookie dough.  Chocolate chip cookie dough is just classic to me and what I think of when I think of raw cookie dough.  However, peanut butter and bananas and chocolate?  Also classic.  

-You could use your favorite raw cookie dough recipes for this, but these are what I came up with and they worked well.  The peanut butter dough made less than the chocolate chip dough.  I got 6 pops from the peanut butter, and 10 from the cookie dough.

-I like to freeze everything in my deep freeze during the assembly process, but I like to store them in my refrigerator freezer because I have the temperature set to where things that are supposed to be soft like ice cream, do not freeze rock hard.  There is nothing worse than rock hard ice cream.  The cookie dough and banana were on the soft side of frozen and it was quite an awesome experience.

-Mixing the milk chocolate chips with coconut oil will result in a thin, crackly layer of chocolate coating which is WONDERFUL, much like you would find on a Nestle ice cream bar in the store.  It will pretty much harden immediately after you dip it.  This is just basically homemade magic shell.  I found it best to just hold the banana over the bowl and spoon the chocolate over it, letting the excess drip off.

-Now, for the life of me, I cannot remember if I ran out of chocolate and had to melt some more to get through all of my bananas.  It seems like I did but I am just not sure.  So, just have some extra chocolate chips and coconut oil on stand by in case you do run out.  Just half the ingredients and that should get you through. 

-If sprinkling with peanuts, do it immediately after they are coated in chocolate, because, like I said, the chocolate hardens immediately.

-Molding the cookie dough around the frozen banana was not as difficult as I thought it would be.  In fact, it was pretty easy.  Just take your time and if the dough starts to build up on your hand, wash it and slightly moisten your hand.  You also might try spraying your hands with nonstick spray.

-Colorful sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, etc., could be used in place of the chopped peanuts.

Frozen Cookie Dough Wrapped Banana Pops

Printable Recipe

8 medium firm but ripe bananas

16 wooden Popsicle sticks

For the peanut butter cookie dough:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 pinch of salt

1 tablespoon whole milk

For the chocolate chip cookie dough:

3/4 cups butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3-4 tablespoons milk

1/2 to 3/4 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

For the coating:

2 cups milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup coconut oil

Chopped peanuts for coating the outside

Cut bananas in half horizontally and carefully insert a wooden popsicle stick into each one, then place on a wax paper-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm.

To make the peanut butter cookie dough:  Cream the butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed.  Beat in the flour and salt and milk until mixed, and 1 tablespoon of milk to make the dough soft.  (The milk can be adjusted if you think the dough is soft enough or if you think it is too hard.)  Set aside at room temperature.

To make the chocolate chip cookie dough:  Beat the butter, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed.  Beat in the flour and salt and enough milk to make a soft cookie dough consistency. (If you don’t use all the milk, it’s okay.)  Stir in the chocolate chips (however much you think).  Set aside at room temperature.

When the bananas are frozen, press a small amount of cookie dough around each banana using clean, slightly moist hands.  Remove only a couple of bananas at a time from the freezer because they will start to soften.  If hands get sticky, take a break, wash them, then start over with slightly moist hands.  Just press a thin (but not too thin!) layer of cookie dough around the banana.  Place back on baking tray and freeze until firm.

To make the coating:  Place the milk chocolate chips and coconut oil in a glass or metal bowl that has been placed over gently simmering water (or use a double boiler).  Stir until melted and smooth.  Spoon the chocolate over each frozen banana, letting the excess drip off, then place back on the baking sheet.  If desired, sprinkle with chopped peanuts immediately after coating in chocolate.  The chocolate should harden quickly because the bananas are frozen, but place in the freezer if they don’t.  Obviously, store these in the freezer.

I got 6 peanut butter cookie dough bananas and 10 chocolate chip bananas out of my batches of cookie dough, but results will vary according to how much cookie dough is used on each banana.

Tip:  During the assembly process, I like to place everything in my deep freeze with freezes it very hard.  For storage though, I like to keep them in my refrigerator freezer, which is set to a higher temperature so things like ice cream will be frozen but not rock hard.  These are best when they are a little soft. Still frozen, but a little soft.

 

This is a little stinker.