Crocodile's Fool Banana Bonbons

So, what if a kid-crocodile wakes up in the mood for eating a child?

Maybe he will have a banana. Maybe he won't eat anything!

Right? Maybe. Here's a big thanks to this creative writer, who wrote this quirky and hilarious book that may raise your kids' appetite for a banana or banana inspired recipe! Or maybe, really, anything edible to make him/her to grow up.

This is one of my kid's favorite book. I'd Really Like to Eat a Child, by Sylvianne Donnio, was given by Darienne to one of my kids, two years ago, as a birthday gift. They always have a blast reading it. And when I am upset by their sporadic hunger strike (yes, believe me, they all do have a period to refuse to eat), this is the book I read to my kids.

So, last time I was looking for inspiration for the Cooking Club at school, I found it in this story. The initial idea was to make some healthy bites that would include banana and other ingredients to make a kind of surprising "candy."

The first time we tried to develop the recipe was during our playdate with our four boys. They again enjoyed listening to the story, read by Darienne. After that we all played with making the dough, and coating the little balls with chocolate sprinkles, white chocolate chips, and even rice crisps. Some thought the mix was too gooey and baby food-like. Others enjoyed the whole process and the product.

At school, for the Cooking Club,  I added another step to the recipe: with a toy hammer, kids had the chance of smashing a bag full of vanilla wafers to turn them into crumbs. We also swapped the original extra cup of oatmeal for nice, crisp granola. This gave more texture to the bonbons so that we didn't even have to bring them to the fridge to make them firmer. Some kids just couldn't eat enough of them. Others, just like the crocodile with his bananas, were not so enthusiastic about the final product. But they all enjoyed using the hammer and imagining if we would fool the crocodile with our banana bonbons.

Banana Bonbons

Good reviews may come even from the kids who don't care for bananas. You can play with it as well -- nuts might be a wonderful addition, as well as any kind of dried fruit.

1 1/2 large or 2 medium ripe bananas
1 cup quick oatmeal
1 cup your favorite granola
2 tablespoons dulce de leche (cooked condensed milk) or nut butter
1 cup crushed vanilla wafers, in crumbs (I used Trader Joe's brand, which is free of high-fructose corn syrup)
1 tablespoon raisins
1/4 teaspoon cocoa
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
For rolling and topping:
Shredded coconut, toasted or not
Chocolate sprinkles
Chocolate chips, to put on the top of bonbons.

Mash bananas with the help of a fork. Kids can help with that process. After , they will love to crush the vanilla wafers inside a plastic bag, using a meat hammer or even a plastic toy hammer. Mix everything to an even  texture and roll in the covering of your choice. Cool them in freezer for about 15 minutes to firm texture, if needed. Enjoy! (... And save some for Achilles, the kid-croc...)