Saturday, December 3, 2011

Banana Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today has been a day where it actually felt like winter....well, winter in Southern California. I left this morning and could see my breath....definitely not a good sign. ;)

I have been freezing all day. I had to work on this Saturday and the office thermostat was set to 68 degrees! 68 degrees!?!?! Did they NOT notice the blue lips I was sporting, or the goose bumps that lingered on like a really bad case of the chicken pox!?!?! Nope! They wanted the office to be crisp today. When my house gets down to 68 degrees I rush to turn the heater on!

I am a weeny when it comes to being cold!!! If it is below 85 degrees then I am cold.....this is no joke! Good thing I live where the weather is perfect, most of the year!

Once I got off work I headed home. I live so close to work that my car doesn't get a chance to heat up enough for the heater to warm up. I walked in the door to see that the slider out to the backyard was wide open for the dogs.....cold air filling our house. Ahhhhhh!!!! On went the heater and the door was shut.

It took about 20 minutes for me to fully thaw out and be comfortable. I sat at the table, at my computer, doing the Facebook thing and checked my email. All week I have been wanting to bake but didn't know what to make. This wasn't from a lack of recipes, but an over abundance of them. I had so many "to bake" items on my list that I didn't know which one to choose.

I really wanted to make something with banana since I had some really ripe ones that I wanted to use up before they went bad. So many banana recipes.....banana bread, banana cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, peanut butter banana oatmeal squares.......the list is never ending!


I looked in the pantry and saw these
Yes, the bag was opened.....had to try them....don't judge!

Right then and there the recipe hit me! I knew what I was going to make!!!



Banana Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies
(adapted by me!)


INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter; at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar; packed
2 eggs
1 TBSP vanilla
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 bag Cinnamon M&Ms
2 VERY ripe bananas; mushed


DIRECTIONS:


-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat baking mat

-In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy

Light and fluffy!!!

-Add eggs and vanilla and continue to beat until well combined


-Place flour, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl and mix together

-Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined


-Add in the banana mush
I l<3ve bananas!!!!!
-Beat together until bananas are all meshed with the dough

-Now time for some fun!!! ;) Dump M&Ms into a bowl and crush into small chunks
Time to take out your aggression!!!
-Add in M&M chunks to dough and give it one last good mixin' to get all that chocolaty goodness incorporated


-Time now to grab out your ice cream scooper and plop some cookie dough onto your prepared cookie sheet
Yup, just like that!!! A dozen at a time!
-Bake cookies for 10 minutes. They will be very soft in the center and "puffy". They ARE done, so don't keep them in the oven longer

-Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack to finish cooling


These cookies are very soft, fluffy, and moist due to the banana. The cinnamon is barely noticeable and they have a slight "chocolate dipped banana" flavor to them (which is a totally good thing!)!!!!

I am going to try to send some of these to my "sis" in Arkansas (yes, I am part hick). I hope she enjoys them along with some of my eggnog fudge!!!

Time now to enjoy some Deadliest Catch with the hubby! <3 me some Northwestern!!!!! :D

Well, until the next baking adventure.....

Have a great weekend all!
<3 always!
Amy



2 comments:

  1. Oh Many Amy, these look like fluffy, yummy heaven! These would be a great breakfast cookie with coffee or tea :) mmmm. Great recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Corey!!! They got good reviews at my work and were gone in a day, so I guess that's a good thing! :)

    ReplyDelete