Banana Bread Cookies

A word to the wise: do not attempt new recipes when you are sick and can't smell or taste a darned thing.

Although there were no major pitfalls, fine-tuning the batter yesterday would have been much more precise if my olfactory organs had been working at full capacity. Whipping together this fresh cookie, I was having trouble determining exactly what needed to be done to my batter. I sensed the need for vanilla after testing out one from the oven, but the only major (minor, really) problem with them at the end was a bit too much flour. But no worries...that was minced in the final written product.


After falling head over heels with a trail mix concoction of pecans, banana chips and chocolate bits I had composed at the Whole Foods trail mix bar the other day, I attempted to conceive of a bakery good I could create containing these delicious morsels. A loaf? A cookie? Decisions, decisions...

Why not have the best of both worlds?

So I introduce to you the chewy Banana Bread Cookie. Enjoy it with a glass of milk, a cup of tea, or a warm mug of hot chocolate. A bit of a break-away from the standard seasonal fare of gingerbread and sugar cookies, but it is good to divert your senses so they don't become too accustomed to the norm. ;-)

Banana Bread Cookies
3 bananas
1/3 c. applesauce
1/4 c. butter, melted
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla extract
2 1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/3 c. milk
3/4 c. pecans
1 c. dark chocolate chunks or chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mash bananas in a large bowl. Stir in applesauce, butter and brown sugar, then egg and vanilla. Mix well. In separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Add dry to wet ingredients in 3 installments with milk. Fold in pecans and chocolate. (Don't overmix or dough will become stiff.)
Place on greased cookie sheet in heaping tablespoons. Bake 15-18 minutes, until golden brown.
Place on wire rack to cool.

If desired, add a glaze of:

3 T. butter, melted
1/3 c. powdered sugar
1 T. milk
1 t. vanilla extract

Mix together with a whisk in a bowl. Drizzle over warm cookies.

In order to set the glaze, I placed the cookies in the freezer for half an hour. If you want to eat your cookies warm, this isn't the best idea, but they are tasty froid ou chaud.