Banana Chip Cookies as Snacks

Healthy Cookies as Snacks

Riffing on one of my favorite cookie doughs, the one I use in SNC for the mesquite flour chocolate chip cookies, these decadent cookies get plenty of flavor and crunch from toasted walnuts and chopped banana chips as easy desserts. I have to admit, it was hard for me to resist adding even more ingredients (coconut, ground espresso, and on and on), but I fought the urge, and stopped short after the chocolate chips, oh and the wheat germ. 

This is what your dough should look like just before you drop and bake the cookies. If you don't like banana chips leave them out, same goes for the nuts - or swap in something more to your liking. Before and after. I'm actually curious about how these cookies might turn out if I used coconut oil/coconut butter in place of the unsalted butter or in some ice cream recipes. If any of the vegan bakers out there try it, please report back. I suspect it would be delicious and add a nice undercurrent of coconut flavor.

I actually froze off most of this batch of cookies, and will bake them on demand and better choose some easy dessert recipes I crowd them onto a single baking sheet and place them in the freezer for about 30 minutes, long enough for them to firm up. Then I transfer them to freezer bags (double bag). It makes baking off a couple at a time a breeze, and the pre-freeze ensures you don't end up with frozen bags of mashed cookie dough.

Preparation Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, racks in middle/upper middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, or stand mixer, beat the butter until lightly and fluffy, then beat in the sugar until it is the consistency of a thick frosting. Beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next, and scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times along the way (important!). Stir in the vanilla. Add the reserved flour mix in two increments, stirring/mixing a bit between each addition (but not too much). By hand, stir in the banana chips, chocolate chips and walnuts - mix just until everything is evenly distributed.

Drop 1 heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie onto the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart and bake for about 7 - 8 minutes, until barely golden on top and bottom. Resist over baking, they will come out dry and not as tasty. Cook on racks.

Make about 24 cookies.