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Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies


I've always loved the banana/chocolate combination.  Remember my chocolate swirl banana bread?  It's one of my favorites.  Now I have a cookie version!  I made these last night while Bruce was catching up on the Masters Golf Tournament that he recorded.  This is Masters weekend, you know.


Since we live in Seattle now, we're getting together at Barbara and Jim's house instead of them driving to Boise and spending 4 days watching it at our house for our usual Master's Weekend.  Living near each other is a lot easier.  Since we all four went to the Master's together in 2010, we feel the need to be together on this special weekend.  Now, we live only 20 minutes away.  So nice.  We can each stay in the comforts of our own home so I have lots of extra time this Master's weekend.  I had one over-ripe banana left in the fruit bowl, which is often the case.  After moving, I decided I'm not freezing bananas anymore because they accumulate too quickly in the freezer.   I must have thrown away 10 pounds of frozen bananas from our freezer when we moved!  Never again.  When I saw this recipe on Two Peas and Their Pod blog that used only one banana, I decided this is what I'll do with that one banana that always turns brown from nobody eating it.  Problem solved of the frozen-bananas-in-the-freezer syndrome.  

I was pleasantly surprised that these cookies were perfect.  The banana flavor is actually very subtle.  They are soft and chewy and the oatmeal gives them a hardy texture, like you're eating something healthy.  I actually had a couple for breakfast today :)  I could see these cookies being like a breakfast bar.  I definitely want to make these again and again and again... 


Makes 2-1/2 dozen

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large banana, mashed
1-1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.



2.  In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugars and beat together.



3.  Add in vanilla extract and egg.  Beat well.



4.  Add the banana. 


5.  Slowly add in flour mixture until just combined.


6.  Stir in oats and chocolate chips.



7.  Drop cookie dough by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets that have been lined with parchment paper.  


8.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  

9.  Remove cookies from pans, cool completely on wire racks.  





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