Banana Split Strawberries Recipe

Momma Told Me: Taste the season.

When I was a young girl we'd overnight strawberries to my grandparents in Massachusetts. This might seem like a silly thing to do, but I've heard all too well the plight of over-priced, over-ripe, tiny strawberries on the East Coast. See, I grew up quite literally walking past the strawberry fields to school, and my little Southern California town is known as one of the strawberry capitals of the country. We even hold a massive strawberry festival each Spring. A life without fresh, ripe, dippable, bursting with flavor strawberries never occurred to me as I was painting my shirt, fingers, and face with strawberry juice as a child.

I've had many tell me that my local strawberries are some of the best they've ever had. I suppose I take it for granted when I can walk to a stand several blocks from my house and pick up a fresh (picked that morning) flat for just $6. And for those not savvy with the market lingo- a flat is many many baskets- 8, to be exact. Yes, I know, you probably pay $5-6 for a pint even in season, if you live in a cold climate state.

So what does all this have to do with anything? Am I just rubbing my beautiful berry fortune in your face? Well, yes, and no. Strawberries simply are a staple here for most of the year. We don't have groves of fresh peaches, and the corn is often lacking, but every Spring and Summer we feast on the most beautiful, delicious, berries. And, with an entire flat on the kitchen counter, I come up with a lot of creative ways to serve and enjoy them.

In the Summer anything frozen is a hit- But I try not to keep ice cream on hand- or it'll get eaten and,  nobody needs that temptation around. Needless to say, my favorite, banana splits, are reserved for ice cream parlors and special occasions. That's where the genius of these banana split strawberries come in- a healthier version of a classic treat in a single portion, bite sized package. They're especially great frozen and thawed at room temperature for 5 minutes, or served fresh at a Summer party.

So this recipe, needless to say, is insanely simple, requires no baking, and can be made in about 30 minutes with some ingredients most people have on hand already. Since I'm watching my sugar, I even found a delicious sugar free pudding mix to use as the base for my pineapple banana filling- and it chills to the most wonderful texture, thanks to the artificial sweeteners.

Of course anybody can core out strawberries and fill them with deliciousness- who am I to judge if you just straight up nozzle some whipped cream in the center and call it done? The sentiment is still there- banana splits IN strawberries. And these pack an adorable punch at that. But I do have to say, the creamy, fluffy, pudding filling is the perfect companion to the crunch of the chocolate dipped shell and the gooey chocolate fudge.

Most recipes that require coring use a melon baller. Well, I don't own one, and most berries are going to be too small for one. I actually used a sturdy teaspoon measuring spoon to carefully carve out the center of my berries. It worked perfectly!  You'll also want to cut just the tip of the strawberries off to help them stand after being dipped. Be careful though, these will be top heavy when filled- when in doubt, cut a little extra off. The filling is thick and shouldn't leak or run through.
Who doesn't love a chocolate dipped strawberry? Well, those who don't like strawberries I suppose- but then, you wouldn't be reading this, would you? Prepare your gorgeous strawberry split vessels by dipping them in a thinned chocolate solution. I like to use a little bit of coconut oil, rather than butter, to give my chocolate a quick melting, even consistency. The trick is to get the chocolate just thin enough to begin running down the sides when you place it on your resting tray.

A banana split isn't complete without all the trimmings, so you'll want to dip those chocolate dipped berries in some chopped nuts if you're a fan of the full split experience. Make sure you send your dipped, filled berries to the freezer for about 5 minutes to properly chill and set them before you move on the my favorite part- the hot fudge drizzle.

Hot fudge, sprinkles, and a cherry on top complete the split experience and make these quite literally a bite of banana split at your fingertips! Every time I see one of these beauties it makes me smile and reminds me of wonderful childhood memories scarfing down a sundae or split in my pajamas on a Friday night. Even better, I can enjoy 1 or 2 in a sitting without feeling all the guilt of a heavy ice cream treat!

So that's what I've been nomming on in my kitchen- Is there a seasonal fruit or veggie you have local that you just can't get enough of in the Summer?



What Daughter Says: Strawberries mean Summer in my little hometown- and it just wouldn't be Summer without them!

Banana Split Strawberries 

***Click here for a printable Banana Split Strawberries recipe

An (Air) Fried Banana Split? They Do Exist! Avalon Bay Air Fryer 100W Feature #Ad

I received an Avalon Bay Air Fryer for the purpose of this review. This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own.

Momma Told Me: There's no such thing as 'healthy' fried anything.

Many of you know I grew up in a household full of modern appliances and gadgets. It seemed, growing up, every other month there was a trip planned to the local Sears showroom or Dak outlet to shop for a new kitchen or home entertainment 'toy.' However, one thing we never had was an Air Fryer. Now, that may be in part due the fact my father, to this day, swears there is quite simply something 'not right' about calling a food 'fried' when it has not in fact been fried in a fat. Or perhaps it is because the very notion of 'fried' food has such a negative connotation, health wise, Momma never dared encourage the term be used on a regular basis.

Regardless, as a young girl, I made several attempts to bargain for fried foods, every year at the County Fair. In fact, there was an entire booth dedicated to frying the most delicious foods (most of them already quite sinful in themselves.) From funnel cakes and candy bars to deep fried Kool-Aid, I'd stare wide eyed up at the colorful list of treats. One year I felt I'd grown rather smart- I decided I would ask for the fried fruit basket, a selection of strawberries, bananas, and fried kiwis. Momma was quick to shoot that down, proclaiming, "There is no such thing as healthy fried food, it is ALL bad for you!"

As an adult I've always felt quite guilty putting a french fry in my mouth, or eating 'fast food' options I know are cooked in oil. At home I seek alternative recipes that often involve broiling and baking in the oven, but it's never quite the same. Let's just say, inevitably, one side of whatever I'm cooking always turns up more well done than another.

Enter the Avalon Bay Air Fryer 100W- A highly affordable, and compact, appliance who's only drawback has been the capacity of preparation allowed. I suspect, however, the compact size and 2-3 serving preparation lends itself to the efficiency of the air frying process. And just what is Air Frying? It's an entirely dry cooking process which uses a top grill to circulate heated air around the food of your choice via a suspended basket. This circulated air is so super-heated it surrounds every surface with an evenly distributed blanket of 'cooking' air.

You won't get the flavor my father attributes to 'fried' foods, but you will get efficiently cooked food with amazing texture, every time. Best of all the process is quite consistent, so not more burnt or dried pieces. And the unit itself is extremely intuitive to use, with a temperature guide located on the top, offering general heat and timing guidelines for common foods. Cooking can begin from a cold-start appliance, simply add 2-3 minutes to the timer and ensure that the proper temperate is set. The Avalon Bay Air Fryer 100W will do the rest!

One of the first things I made with my new Air Fryer was what I call a Fried Banana Split. Using simply ingredients you likely already have in your pantry I added an amazing texture to a classic banana split by Air Frying Cinnamon Bananas. For a simulated 'fried' coloring you can even plan cook your bread crumbs in a Vegan Coconut Oil Spread prior to breading! Not only did the Honey Coconut Oil Spread smell amazing melting in the pan but it gave my air fried bananas the perfect color! The rest as as easy as dipping ripe bananas in flour, egg, and bread crumbs (we use Panko,) then dusting in cinnamon sugar. The Avalon Bay Air Fryer did the rest!

Always remember that your Air Fryer needs to 'dry cook' ingredients to work most effectively, so work with a dry-wet-dry pattern when breading foods. This will mean a flour, egg, crumb layer in most recipes. In just 10 minutes, from a cold-start appliance, our Cinnamon Air Fried Bananas were ready. I simply removed the Air Fryer tray, separated the basket via the easy lift button, and shook and excess crumbs through the basket's grate into the collection chamber below. And cleaning up the appliance took 2 minutes- no messy grease!

Even if you're not a big banana person, these churro like bananas hit the spot, warm on the inside, against a pile of ice cream and fresh fruit. It's definitely the BEST way to enjoy a banana split with just a little extra indulgence and no extra guilt. In fact, you can cut up to 80% of the added fat out when air frying, over traditional oil based frying. What would you love to make first in an Air Fryer?

What Daughter Says: Enjoy the fried texture without the fried guilt when you Air Fry.

Air Fried Cinnamon Bananas

***Click here for printable Air Fried Bananas Recipe.