BANANA OATMEAL COOKIES

Whenever I find myself restless, I usually head for the kitchen and bake something. Last Saturday found me this way. I thought I would make some cookies and then I could give most of them to the boys next door. I had three bananas that were getting ripe and decided to make Mrs. David (Marlene) Miller's Banana Oatmeal Cookies recipe I found in my Heritage Country Harvest Cookbook from the Amish in Northern Indiana. (I'll give you the tip on the page at the end of the post. I haven't actually tried it, but it sounds interesting.)

BTW, the boys loved them. Sean said they tasted like banana bread drops.

BANANA OATMEAL COOKIES

1-1/2       cups sifted flour
1               cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup stevia/sugar baking blend)
1/2           teaspoon baking soda
1                teaspoon salt
1/4           teaspoon nutmeg
3/4           teaspoon cinnamon
3/4           cup shortening
1               egg, beaten
1               cup ripe mashed bananas
1-3/4       cup rolled oats (I used old fashioned)
1/2          cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Sift together the dry ingredients - flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon (notice you sift the flour before you measure it).

Cut in the shortening. (I used a pastry cutter.)

Add egg and banana.

Add oats and nuts.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. (I used my tablespoon cookie scoop.)

The cookies will not spread as they bake. If you want flat cookies, flatten them slightly with your fingers

before you bake them.

Bake about 15 minutes - do not overbake. (I took mine out after 13 minutes  because they were brown and set and she said not to overbake them. They were perfect.)

The ones I flattened with my fingers.

Remove immediately from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack.





Recipe makes 4 dozen cookies.

TIP! 

"Store your flour, cornmeal, etc in glass container then take spearmint or doublemint gum out of the wrappers and put in with the flour to keep them from getting "mealy bugs" during the summer months." Pg 56 Heritage Country Harvest Cookbook - Ray and Malinda Yutzy