"Ohhh"atmeal Banana Cookies...

It's been quite some time since the last post. Which means two things...I'm not cooking or baking and starving myself or...just haven't posted anything worth looking at. Not sure which of these two scenarios it would be. I certainly, am not starving myself these days.

For some this will be nothing new, and for other's...old news. What to do with all those over ripped bananas when banana bread or muffins just doesn't seem to be what you're looking for? I found it and they are mighty good and great for mornings on the go!

OATMEAL BANANA COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:
-1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
-1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
-1/4 Teaspoon Salt
-1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-3/4 Cup ( 1 1/2 Sticks) Butter, melted and cooled slightly
-1 Cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
-1 Cup Mashed Really Ripe Bananas ( 2 to 3 Medium)
-1 Large Egg
-1 Teaspoon Vanilla
-2 1/2 Cups Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats (NOT INSTANT)
-1 Cup Chopped Nuts (OPTIONAL)

DIRECTIONS:


1) In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg until well blended and set aside.
2) In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
3) Beat the mashed bananas, egg, and vanilla, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary to make sure everything is well blended.
4) Stir in the flour mixture with the mixer on low speed or with a wooden spoon just until combined.
5) Stir in the oats and nuts (if using) just until blended.
6) Cover the dough and place in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes (or up to 6 hours) to firm up. If the dough is too soft, the cookies will spread too much.
7) When you are ready to bake cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  *I also used parchment paper on my pan.*
8) Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoonsful onto prepared cookie sheets about 3 inches apart.
9) Bake the cookies until their edges are golden brown, but they are still soft on top-about 15 to 17 minutes.
10) Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on cookie sheets for several minutes-then transfer them to a wire rack with a spatula and allow them to cool completely before storing.

YIELDS: About 3 Dozen.

Oh, Pumpkin'

I woke up today to my alarm at 6:50 AM and immediately wondered what kind of things should I bake today? Needless to say, I woke up in a baking kind of mood. I remember growing up and always having "different" things to eat. I say this in a way that doesn't mean different meaning gross, but different in terms of hot dishes, Italian dishes, farmer dishes, etc. And now I feel like I have hit a rut of what to cook and bake.

I know, I'm only 25! I've got a long ways to go. Therefore, I 'hit the books' in terms of the internet. Looked at a million and one different soups (though I am still trying to master cream of potato). As many friends and family know, me and cookies do not mix. I should say we mix but we don't bake well together. I tried to turn my own kitchen into a science lab and determine what variable needed to be changed to create the kind of cookie that (most) people want to consume. So far, my cookies have yet to turn out like Sweet Martha's.

As I am scrolling through various recipes online, I came across one, which title read: Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies. The light bulb went on and off I went to make sure I had all the ingredients. It said soft in the title-how could I possibly screw this up?

As I say this, I am thinking about my mixing skills and some of the reviews I read changed the recipe a bit. So, why did I not follow the recipe? One thing I have learned is that brown sugar does help soften things. Therefore, that was the only change I made to the recipe.

Since I thought perhaps if these cookies turn out that I would share them-I took pictures. If you are one of those people like me who can't just look at the recipe to determine if it "sounds" good and you need pictures-I am just the same way.

These cookies aren't all healthy but they have to be better than sugar, sugar, and more sugar-right?

Old Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies

2 1/2 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
1 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
1 TEASPOON BAKING POWDER
1 TEASPOON GROUND CINNAMON (I ALSO USED SOME PUMPKIN SPICE)
1/2 TEASPOON GROUND NUTMEG
1/2 TEASPOON SALT
1 1/2 CUPS GRANULATED SUGAR-I USED 1 CUP SUGAR, 1/2 CUP BROWN SUGAR
1/2 CUP BUTTER, SOFTENED
1 CUP PURE PUMPKIN
1 LARGE EGG
1 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES F. GREASE BAKING SHEETS.

COMBINE: FLOUR, BAKING SODA, BAKING POWDER, CINNAMON, NUTMEG, AND SALT IN MEDIUM BOWL. BEAT SUGAR AND BUTTER IN LARGE MIXER BOWL UNTIL WELL BLENDED. BEAT IN PUMPKIN, EGG AND VANILLA EXTRACT UNTIL SMOOTH. GRADUALLY BEAT IN FLOUR MIXTURE. DROP BY ROUNDED TABLESPOON ONTO PREPARED BAKING SHEETS.

BAKE FOR 15-18 MINUTES OR UNTIL EDGES ARE FIRM. COOL ON BAKING SHEETS FOR 2 MINUTES; REMOVE TO WIRE RACKS TO COOL COMPLETELY.

The Recipe also calls for a glaze on them, but I opted out to just do the simple (and more healthy). But, for those that have the sweet tooth-

GLAZE:


COMBINE 2 CUPS SIFTED POWDERED SUGAR, 3 TABLESPOONS MILK, 1 TABLESPOON MELTED BUTTER AND 1 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT IN SMALL BOWL UNTIL SMOOTH.

ESTIMATED TIMES:

PREPARATION: 10 MINUTES
COOKING: 18 MINUTES
COOLING TIME: 2 MINUTES
YIELDS: 36 COOKIES

A little organization goes a long way!

Just after mixing "wet" and "dry" ingredients.

Not perfectly round-but they'll eat...I hope.

Right out of the oven-cooling.

The finished product-half eaten.