Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip!

I have been wanting to find a cookie that had banana in it that had the texture of a cookie and not banana bread. Once I made banana bread cookies and they were just that--banana bread in the shape of a little cookie mound. It was sort of like how pumpkin cookies are like pumpkin bread. I stumbled across this recipe and had to try it, partly because I had one rotting banana on my counter and I can't just throw away prime baking ingredients.

Olivia was a little skeptical because as a great lover of chocolate chip cookies she was not sure how banana would figure into the mix. "Bananas and oatmeal and chocolate chips don't make a cookie," she said. When she tried the dough, she changed her mind and proclaimed that they were her favorite. I liked the texture--chewy, but only slightly cakey. More dense than banana bread because of the oats. I thought there were almost too many chocolate chips though.

Banana Oatmeal Cookie

1c Flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2T very soft butter

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c brown sugar

1/4 c mashed banana

1 egg

1tsp vanilla

1 1/2 c oats (old fashioned or quick)

1 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Beat in egg and banana followed by vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.

Drop by Tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets. Bake 11-14 min. at 350 degrees until lighly browned. Makes 2 doz.