Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recently, I have been busy on the weekends, so it was nice to be able to relax and catch up on some episodes of Kelsey's Essentials on the Cooking Channel. I had enjoyed watching her compete for the Next Food Network star, and despite not winning she still ended up with her own show. However, the downfall to actually having time to watch cooking/food shows is that it inevitably makes me want to try everything I see.

Today was no different. I had a few over-ripe bananas that I was planning to make banana bread with when I saw her episode that had a recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies. And who can resist a delicious cookie?! Since it has banana and even some whole oats it can’t be all that bad for you right? The banana keeps the cookie nice and moist yet not too sweet. If you are a nut lover you can decrease the chocolate chips and add in some crushed walnuts for texture. At least I had a few girlfriends over to help me eat them, not that I really need help but I shouldn't eat them all myself.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields: 24 cookies
Source: Kelsey’s Essentials

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ cup shortening (I used unsalted butter)

2 overripe bananas, mashed

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 ¾ cups rolled oats

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¾ cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and shortening until light and fluffy. Mix in the bananas and egg and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the vanilla.

In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. It will be a wet cookie dough. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Using two spoons or a cookie scoop, portion cookies out using overflowing tablespoonfuls on 2 ungreased cookie sheets, 12 cookies per sheet. Bake just until golden brown, ~20 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn and swap the cookie sheets on each rack for even cooking. Cool on a wire rack.