Banana Cookies

Did you know that my husband sometimes hides bananas so they go brown and then I'm forced to make banana baked goods? One of the favorites is my grandma's recipe for banana oatmeal cookies.

After my grandma passed away my cousin's wife typed up all my grandma's recipes. My grandpa (the one who would rather eat at the Little America Coffee Shop than anywhere else in the Wasatch Front) printed each of the family our own copy of Grandma's recipes. This book is brilliant. It has recipes I remember growing up with and a whole bunch I've never heard of. I'd kind of like to try the ones that I've never heard of. (Salmon Sour Cream Mold or Pineapple Pimento Salad anyone?) Thank goodness for this little gem of a cook book! Too bad I can't take a photo of it to do it justice.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup flour (sometimes I add about 1/4 cup more)

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg-well beaten (truth be told, I don't both beating it before adding)
3/4 cup butter (original recipe says shortening)

1 cup rip banana

1 3/4 cup rolled oats (old fashioned)

1/2 cup chopped nuts-pecan or walnuts (I like to think of this as optional. My family would disagree)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients.

Mix in shortening, add egg and banana, rolled oats and nuts (if you're so inclined.) This is the part where I ask my husband to come help me stir and he asks why I'm not using the KitchenAid and I make up some lame excuse. (Truth be told, I wanted cookies ASAP and getting the machine out seemed like it would take too long.)

Drop on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Here's a batch for me...no nuts.


Here's a batch with nuts.