Chocolate Covered Banana Pops

3 firm large bananas, peeled
9 wooden Popsicle sticks
2 cups Nestle® semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp. Crisco® shortening
1½ cup Diamond® chopped almonds

Cut each banana into thirds. Insert wooden stick into each banana piece; place on tray covered with waxed paper. Freeze until firm about 1 hour.

In top of double boiler over hot, not boiling water, melt chocolate chips and shortening. Remove bananas from freezer just before dipping. Dip each
banana into warm chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Immediately roll in
almonds. Cover, return to freezer.

Serve frozen.

Makes 9 pops