Monster Mouths

Prep Time: 20 minutes.

Cooking Time: 0 minutes.

Makes: 16 servings (one apple makes 4).

Ingredients

4 organic granny smith apples

1 organic banana, chilled

Raw sliced almonds (or use sunflower seeds to make them school friendly)

Sunbutter or creamy almond butter

2 tbsp. lemon juice

¼ c. melted coconut oil

1 tbsp. raw cacao powder

1-2 tbsp maple syrup

16 toothpicks

Instructions

This becomes more of a crafting project than baking, but can be broken down into: eyes, mouths and decorating. Wash all the produce well and get out the nut butter. It is important to use organic apples whenever possible- because although they are a healthy fruit, the conventional apples are riddled with pesticides and herbicides. Organic bananas are important to protect the farmers who are getting sick from conventional spraying practices. Vote with your dollars and make them count!

First you can make a simple chocolate sauce using just cacao powder and maple syrup. Stir the syrup into the powder to create a luscious, creamy sauce.

Slice the banana into discs and lay on a plate- it is better if the banana was chilled first so that the chocolate sauce doesn’t melt. Next, spoon tiny amounts of chocolate sauce into the center of the disks to make pupils for the eyes. Make them whatever size or shape you want, have fun! When you finish with all the eyes, chill the plate in the fridge so the chocolate will cool in place.

Next you will prepare the apples. Quarter them and remove the core, creating a flat spot on the back. Then you will cut a wedge out of the center to make the open mouth. If you cut it too small the first time that is better than too much and risking slicing it in two! Think of it as good practice for pumpkin carving.

The next step is for aesthetics. Squeeze lemon juice onto the backs of your sliced apples. This will keep them from browning and they will stay crisp longer.

Finally fill the mouths with the nut or seed butter of your choice. Many public schools are nut free- so if you are sending these as a snack, just switch from almond to Sunbutter or another seed butter. (You will them also need to use sunflower seeds for tiny, razor teeth!)

Finally comes the decorating! Use sliced almonds (or seeds of choice) to make a row of teeth by sticking them into the nut butter. Next, stick the toothpick through the middle of the apple to mount the banana eyeballs. Pull the eyes out of the fridge and place carefully onto the toothpick. Monster mouth complete!  

These are obviously pretty delicate and can get smeary and melty fast, so keep all the pieces in the fridge and only assemble right before serving.  These are kind of a same day treat, and don’t tend to keep well- so gobble up all these monsters right away!