We all know that I judge books by their covers. And we know that I have trouble savoring cookies. So it should come as no surprise to you that I judge cookies by their looks. I mean, most of us do, right?
But sometimes, you shouldn't. Because sometimes there is deliciousness in this world like these amazing banana cookies. They're so ugly. But they're soft and tender in the middle, and a little bit crispy around the edges-- basically like banana bread but magically fluffier. I may or may not have 'savored' seven of them this evening. Ahem.
(But as far as cookies go, they're not too terrible. I mean, there's a whole cup of banana in there! Sometimes I add a drizzle of frosting, but I didn't this time, because they're plenty sweet on their own.)
They're also a cinch to whip up. I had the girls mash the bananas for me while I sifted the dry ingredients, and then it was about 4 minutes tops till everything was combined in one bowl. The hard part is just waiting the hour to let the dough rest in the fridge before you bake them.
Amazing Banana Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed over-ripe bananas
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
- Sift ingredients 6-11 together in a small bowl, set aside.
- Mash bananas in a large bowl, and stir in ingredients 2-5, beating well after each addition.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, mixing till thoroughly combined.
- Refrigerate dough one hour. Don't skip this step! It's what lets the fat distribute evenly, and makes them nice and tender.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).
- Put a large-ish spoonfuls of dough on a slightly greased pan, about 2 inches apart. (They puff up a lot while baking.)
- Bake 8-10 minutes, or until brown around the edges.
- Cool on pans for a few minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
- Makes about 3 dozen cookies which are delicious on their own. Or, take about a cup of powdered sugar, add a few drops of lemon extract, and then add milk one teaspoon at a time until the frosting is drizzle-able. Then drizzle over cookies.
- Stored in an airtight container they'll last a couple of days at room temp. If you don't eat them all faster than that.
They really are foolproof. Today I was out of cloves, so I left that out, and I used all shortening, so that they'd be dairy free for Juliet, and they were still delectable.
What's your favorite ugly cookie?
