FROZEN SMOOTHIE BOWL

Smooth, soft and full of flavour

You will need:

Frozen Bananas

Almond butter

Almond milk ( or choice of milk)

Dark cocoa

Variety of nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, berries and granola for topping.

A perfectly clean, healthy and surprisingly delightful bowl full of goodness. It is being called a smoothie bowl, but it may as well be a bowl of frozen dessert.

Till I made this, I had an aversion to any recipe that boasted frozen bananas. Their appearance was simply not enticing enough. Peeling softened bananas to pop them in the freezer - just not my idea of a fun adventure in the kitchen...

I got over this in one easy step- don't wait till the bananas are soft. I found, that while most people recommended freezing over ripe, soft bananas - they work just as well if you don't wait that long! Having gotten over that hurdle, the rest was very rewarding.

I would recommend freezing the bananas for at least 24 hours to get a good creamy base.

A good quality, dark rich cocoa is the key to this easy mix. I like to use an unsweetened dark cocoa as it compliments the sweetness of the banana just perfectly. If you don't mind a little more sweetness in your bowl, a less dark or sweetened cocoa will work just as well.

Almond butter and almond milk pair perfectly and add a subtle nutty taste.

The toppings, in my opinion are the most exciting part of this smoothie bowl - and honestly, there's no end to what all you can put on there. Chocolate chips, caramelised nuts, granola, candied berries, digestive biscuit crumbs. If you are looking for something a leaner option - sliced bananas, berries, nuts, seeds are also delicious. Combine any or all of the above options as a topping and enjoy a lovely wholesome bowl of frozen dessert!

Since the bananas are frozen, and then whipped, they will remain frozen and cold for a short time, so make this just before serving and keep the topping ready.

While blending, make sure the bananas are chopped roughly into 4 or 6 pieces. Don't over work the blending process, as the heat will cause the mix to melt. Try and use as many ingredients straight from the fridge if possible.

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Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 medium frozen bananas (peeled and then frozen for 24 hours)

2 tbsp dark unsweetened cocoa

1 tbsp almond butter

few tablespoons of almond milk or milk of choice

Toppings.

Method:

Chop bananas roughly to the same size.

Blend all the ingredients in the blender, making sure not to over work the mixture.

Pour into a bowl once everything is well blended into a creamy frozen yogurt like consistency.

Generously sprinkle the toppings and enjoy!