“There’s always money in the banana stand.” When I heard this quote, I knew I was missing out on a little show called Arrested Development. Not the rave reviews the show was getting, not Jason Bateman and Will Arnett’s acting—just a simple comment about bananas. I mean, obviously, if this family runs a banana stand, there’s going to be quality entertainment, right? Just me? Okay.
Well, in honor of the show’s return to Netflix on May 26th, I’ve started catching up on all the years of Bluth antics I’ve missed out on. And, of course, I had to start planning a few recipes for the big debut. Frozen, chocolate-dipped bananas were a must, especially after I missed out on the Banana Stand that toured New York last week (Fun Fact: Florida-based Totally Bananas provided 14,000 sweets for the promotion).
I used these striped straws instead of popsicle sticks, though plastic straws would’ve been a better bet — though cute, the paper ones weren’t strong to hold the heavier, multiple-candy-coated bananas.
Our toppings bar: Crushed peanuts, M&Ms, Crunchy Nut cereal, melted peanut butter, rainbow sprinkles
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon shortening (or butter/margarine)
- 3 bananas, cut in half
- Crushed candies, nuts or other toppings of your choice
- Insert a straw (or popsicle stick or whatever you're using) halfway into the banana. Place bananas on a plate or baking sheet and freeze for one hour.
- Place chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until they're completely melted. This should take about a minute and a half.
- Hold the banana-stick over the bowl of chocolate sauce and use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate on the banana to coat it. (Note: Dipping the banana into the bowl of chocolate sauce just causes the sauce to harden quickly.)
- As soon as the banana's coated, roll it in the ingredients of your choice, then set it on a plate or baking sheet to harden.
Other Treats Your Premiere Party Should Probably Have on Hand:
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