by Vanessa Saunders
As I’m stuck at home with my foot stuck in the air in a cast from my recent surgery, I’m not able to go for the usual Sunday family walk with the dogs. I was thinking I’d love to do some baking but even that’s a challenge when I can only get around on crutches! So I’m plonked in front of the computer but determined to have at least one afternoon off from Real Estate and do something relaxing.
I must be hungry as this is the best I came up with when going through my computer files; the recipe for my father’s Banana Cookies. I’m hoping my daughter will bake a batch for me when they get back from the walk so I can have a couple with a cup of tea later.
My father was an excellent chef and owned a couple of hotels in my native Wales in the UK. He was responsible for my love of cooking., which has now been passed along to my daughter. When I inherited his recipes this one in particular has become a family favorite. Now about 70 years old, it is one of the best cookie recipes I know. Natalie my daughter and I are attempting to cook our way through his recipes and document them all over time digitally with photos to remind us of how delicious they are. These banana cookies are what I consider to be a staple for any home. Who hasn’t had plenty of instances where some bananas have gotten a bit overripe? They are a great new way to use up ripe bananas and make a nice change from the same old banana bread. With a fresh banana taste and enhanced with spices and pecans they’re a perfect treat for any brown paper bag lunch or with a cup of afternoon tea.
So good, I guarantee they won’t last long.
Banana Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 cup of mashed bananas (about 2 ½ large bananas)
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 2 cups of flour
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground mace or nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1 cup of pecans (walnuts and chocolate chips make another great option)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
2. In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes. The baking soda will react with the acid in the bananas which in turn will give the cookies their lift and rise.
3. Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture. Mix together the flour, salt, and spices and sift into the butter and banana mixture and mix until just combined.
4. Fold into the batter the pecans or chocolate chips if using. Drop in dollops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.
Makes about 30 cookies. Enjoy!
