Banana Dessert Wraps

After last week's labor intensive Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cakes, I was ready for something a little easier. These Banana Dessert Wraps were perfect! The recipe was a Pillsbury Bake-Off winner (thank you again for that cookbook, Lorren!).

Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup coconut 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 4 firm ripe bananas (5 to 6 inch) 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 jar (12 oz) hot caramel ice cream topping, heated Whipped cream, if desired 1 cup vanilla ice cream DIRECTIONS: 1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spread coconut and pecans separately on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light golden brown; set aside. 2. Increase oven temperature to 450°F. Remove pie crust from pouch; place flat onto work surface. With rolling pin, roll crust until 12 inches in diameter. 3. In small bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Reserve 1 tablespoon sugar mixture; sprinkle remaining sugar mixture evenly over crust. Cut crust into 4 wedge-shaped pieces. 4. Place 1 banana lengthwise on each crust wedge, about 3/4 inch from curved edge (if banana is too long, trim ends to fit within crust, at least 1/4 inch from each edge). Push about 1 rounded tablespoon chocolate chips, points first, into top and sides of each banana. 5. Bring curved edge and point of each crust wedge up over banana to meet; pinch seam and ends to seal, shaping crust around banana. Sprinkle tops of wrapped bananas with reserved 1 tablespoon sugar mixture; place on ungreased cookie sheet. 6. Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Cool 5 minutes. 7. To serve, drizzle or spread about 2 tablespoons warm caramel topping on each individual dessert plate. Top each with baked banana, whipped cream and additional caramel topping, if desired. Sprinkle coconut and pecans over top of each. Serve with ice cream.

Joy and I cut the recipe in half since it was just the two of us. It's super easy - basically you put a cinnamon mixture on refrigerated pie crust, put bananas on top, push chocolate chips into the banana, wrap, sprinkle more cinnamon sugar and pop in the oven! I think it would be a fun dessert to make with kids.

Here's Joy putting the chips in the banana.


All wrapped up with more cinnamon sugar on top:


After cooking for about 11 minutes, the wraps looked nice and golden. Since Joy and I didn't use some of the toppings the recipe listed (the coconut, pecans, whipped cream), I just dribbled the caramel across the top and put ice cream on the side. (Joy's is on the left and mine is the right - notice the different seams techniques, haha!)


It turned out delicious! I was actually kind of surprised because it seemed like it would be plain or dry or something. But the banana and melted chocolate were yummy together, especially with the ice cream and caramel. I think the presentation turned out nice too, and would be even fancier with the other toppings. I would definitely make it again. I'm sad Brent didn't get to try this one. Thank goodness he's coming home tomorrow!