Inspired by an effort to rescue an overripe banana

Here is an alternative to a banana bread solution to rescue nearly dead bananas: to make sugar-free waffles in an ice-cream cone maker. Roll them, fill them with nuts, dates, and ricotta, and decorate with a shaved coconut. No processed sugar.  Natural sweetness comes from banana and dates. That is a good tasting, nutritious and healthy snack or dessert. In my coffee loving opinion, a stuffed banana waffle goes well with a cup of black coffee…And, by the way, the dessert is fast to make. 30-40 minutes. An ice-cream cone maker and a food processor are needed for the banana waffles recipe.

Recipe

Ingredients

Makes 6 waffles

For the waffles

Banana, large, overripe - 1
Egg, large - 1
Butter, unsalted - 50 g (1.8 oz)
Flour, all-purpose wheat - 4 generous tablespoons

For the filling

Dates, pitted - 20
Nuts, raw (mix of walnuts/pecans/hazelnuts ) - 1/2 cup
Ricotta - 4 generous tablespoons

For decoration

Coconut, shredded unsweetened - 2 tablespoons

Instructions

Step 1. Waffles

1. Mash banana with the fork in a bowl.
2. Add the rest of ingredients to the mashed banana in the following order: melted butter, egg, and flour. Mix well.
3. Warm up the waffle (ice cream cone) maker.
4. Pour the batter into the waffle maker approximately 1 1/2 tablespoon at a time to make 6 waffles. Bake them until golden brown.
5. Roll waffles into pipes leaving hollow space inside while they are still hot. Use a round handle of a kitchen utensil to roll the pipes.

Step 2. Filling

1. Crush the nuts in a food processor to small pieces.
2. Add dates and run the processor again.
3. Finally, add ricotta and process the mixture until a crumbly paste is formed.

Step 3. Stuffing and decorating

1. Transfer the date filling into the zip bag and cut the bag’s corner.
2. Squeeze filling into each side of the waffle pipe as much as it lets you.
3. Dip each side of the pipe with the filling into the shredded coconuts.
4. The center of the pipes will be hollow. If you prefer to fill the pipes completely, squeeze the filling on warm waffles prior to rolling and then add some more filling to the sides.
5. For better taste place the waffles in the fridge for an hour.
6. Enjoy!