Chocolate Banana Squares

Fall is definitely upon us. I am hoping for several more frost-free days so I can enjoy the garden longer. I know that as soon as we get that first frost, all the leaves will begin to change colour and drop. As I write this, I am enjoying the sound of the gentle rain outside, after a cold and windy day that seemed to go right into my bones. Brr. So I turned on the oven to deal with a bunch of tomatoes that needed some attention. I just finished a batch of Oven Roasted Tomatoes, with a bunch of cherry tomatoes that were very ripe. Once they were finished, I popped them into a freezer container, to use in various dishes, but not without sampling a few. I do want to try them in a salad.

My next project is baking a pan of Chocolate Banana squares that contain no additional sugar, no gluten, and no dairy and low fat. I use dark chocolate chips, but you can use whatever kind you like best. This is a quick, low-calorie way to bake up a little treat, filled with lots of goodness. They are both gooey and fudgy and would be great served plain or with a dallop of whipped cream. Because these are low-sugar, be sure to store in the refrigerator.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Small and /or medium tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 large clove of garlic pressed

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Wash and cut in half the ripe tomatoes. With the cut side facing up, brush with the olive oil mixture, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake at 275 degrees for 2-3 hours (or until they start to wrinkle) They taste great with 2 hours of slow roasting, but with three hours the flavour really develops.

Chocolate Banana Squares

3 bananas, ripe, mashed

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/3 cup peanut butter

2/3 cup dark chocolate chips, divided

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 X 8 pan with crinkled parchment paper, and lightly grease. In a mixing bowl, mash the banana, and mix in the cocoa powder and peanut butter together, (I use an electric hand mixer). Stir in the 1/3 cup of chocolate chips, reserving the other 1/3 cup of chocolate chips for the topping. Pour the batter into the pan, topping it with the remaining 1/3 cup chocolate chips. Bake for 25 minutes.