I Call Them Fruitons

As is often the case, I came up with an idea for something new by trying to do something else.  In this case, I was looking for a way to use several pounds of over-ripe bananas from my weekly CSA deliveries.  

So, off I went searching and found a yummy-sounding recipe for "Banana Bars" on Balancing Beauty & Bedlam.  

The moist, cake-y banana bars turned out to be a delicious way to use up all those mushy, brown bananas.  But the recipe made a HUGE amount. and I soon found myself looking for a way to use up several uneaten servings of banana bars!  (Granny doesn't waste anything.)   And that's when I came up with the idea for FRUITONS -- sweet croutons made specifically for fruit salad.  

First I cut the banana cake into 1/2 inch strips.  Next I cut the strips into cubes and baked them at 250 degrees Farenheit for an hour and a half until the cake cubes were toasted brown and crispy.

Add the fruit salad:  I used what I had on hand, which was strawberries, pears and kiwi.  Toss in some fruitons, and suddenly a simple fruit salad is elevated to a tasty, yet healthy dessert.  

Imagine the possibilities...  Chocolate fruitons?  Pound cake fruitons?  Spice cake fruitons?  Fruit cake fruitons?  (Okay, that last one is probably going a bit too far, but you get the idea.)

Do try this at home!