It's been way too long since I've posted! Busy doesn't even begin to describe what's been going on around here. First of all, my daughter moved to New York. She's a grown-up now. Not sure how I feel about that yet. And, we drove her to New York. You read that right, we DROVE from Louisiana to New York. Over 1400 miles each way. With all of her stuff crammed in to the SUV along with Old School Italian Hubby, me, her and her brother in the back seat reverting to younger and more annoying brats with every mile. It was fun. But seriously we did have a few silly spats but for the most part it was a great old-fashioned family road trip. We stopped at fun roadside attractions along the way and made wonderful memories. Most importantly, we got her moved into her new life and she's happy and thriving. What more could a Mama want?
We also lost our beloved family dog, Peanut. He was such a special part of our family and we were lucky to have him for more than 13 years. I'll miss my little shadow who followed me everywhere and sat at my feet while I cooked, hoping I would drop something yummy.
The other day I noticed that a few bananas in the fruit bowl were very ripe. Perfect for baking. I usually use over ripe bananas to make banana nut bread but I thought I'd try something new. I'm not a huge breakfast eater. I'm more of a coffee and more coffee kind of gal. But I've been trying to eat healthier lately so I thought breakfast cookies would go great with my coffee and more coffee. These are easy to make with just a handful of ingredients.
BANANA BREAKFAST COOKIES
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 tsp cinnamon, optional*
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a big bowl, mix the mashed bananas, peanut butter, vanilla extract, oats and cinnamon (if using) until combined well. Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Scoop out with 1/4 cup measuring cup (I use an ice cream scoop) and roll into balls. Place on the lined cookie sheet and flatten each ball. Bake 15 minutes or until firm and lightly golden on top. Let cool 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
These "cookies" have no added sugar and go great with a cup of coffee or tea. They are healthy and filling. You can substitute raisins for the chocolate chips if you'd like. You can also use any nut butter you have. This recipe is very versatile and a great way to use up over ripe bananas. They keep for a week in an airtight container, even longer in the fridge.
