Monkey Cookies

I made cookies! I don't mean in the traditional - hey, this recipe looks tasty kind of way. I mean I made up a cookie recipe. The most surprising thing of all is that they are tasty as all get-out. I started with a recipe that I got out of a magazine around Christmastime and have been tinkering. It was an okay, but boring cookie. Slowly, I twisted and turned it into something marginally more healthy (we are talking about cookies here) and something that I can give Vince as a teething chewy. Well, I can give him some if there are any leftover and once he's old enough to have cookies. Right now, they are mine all mine. Shh - and don't tell Matt. I'm debating even sharing. In the mean time, I highly recommend you give these a whirl and let me know what you think of them. I'm calling them monkey cookies because they were inspired by my little monkey... and because there's a little banana in them and everybody knows that anything remotely banana flavored should be called monkey something, even if there are a million other tasty ingredients involved. Bananas rule = Monkey wins.

Here's how she goes. Preheat your oven (ilovemyoven) to 350 degrees.

Take 3/4 stick of butter (I know, who measures like that, right? Me, that's who. You didn't come here for Thomas Keller.) Put the butter and a 1/3 of a banana into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, or until the banana starts to sizzle. Were I the thinking ahead sort, the butter would probably have been fine at room temperature, but I'm not that sort. So, it was cold from the fridge. Now Mash the banana and butter together with a tablespoon of peanut butter, 1/2 cup of white sugar and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Mix in 1 egg and a teaspoon of vanilla.

In a separate bowl combine 1 and 1/3 cup flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and a teaspoon of baking soda along with 1/3 cup of rolled oats.

Now, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Were you to be fancy enough to have unsalted butter for step one, I'd add a teaspoon now. If you're like me and are operating on a generic box of butter that you got on super sale during the holidays - skip the salt.

Next, mix in half a cup of bittersweet chocolate chips. I used the 60% cacao Ghiradelli ones that I keep in the cupboard for all chocolate emergencies.

Using a regular old spoon, drop the cookies onto a baking sheet and pop into the oven for 12 minutes, or until just starting to brown. Cool on a wire rack for at least a couple of minutes then, devour and enjoy. This recipe probably makes 2 dozen, but I kind of sort of ate a lot of dough and only ended up with 21. They're so good. Tender, chewy with just a little bit of banana and peanut butteriness and big ol' oozy dark nubbins of chocolatey heaven.



Monkey Cookies*
Preheat oven to 350
5 Tablespoons of salted butter
3 Tablespoons medium, ripe banana
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon peanut butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 1/3 c. flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Place butter and banana in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on High for 30 seconds. Cream together butter, banana, peanut butter and sugars in a mixing bowl. Mix in egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine next 4 ingredients. Slowly mix dry ingredients into wet. Stir in chocolate. Drop by the tablespoonful onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Yield 2 doz.

*Now, helpfully edited to real measurements