Banana and Choc Chip Cookies

One of the things I remember most about my childhood is baking with my parents, which is a shame now because my parents never bake anymore, well at least not as much. The one thing I remember most is my mum’s banana and chocolate muffins.  She would make a batch almost every month and then freeze them. During the weeks we would take them to school and by the time recess came around, the muffins were defrosted and tasted as if they were just baked.

But, that’s not what I remember about her muffins. What I remember was eating them from the freezer! It’s a weird habit I still have not grown out of. I like my cakes, whether muffins, brownies or cookies eaten from the freezer, ice cold, frozen and solid. I don’t know what attracts me to frozen cake and I still haven’t met anyone else with the same unusual eating habit. My sister thinks it’s different.

When I saw the recipe for these cookies (in The Golden Book of Chocolate), I knew I had to bake them. The end result was a soft cookie, almost reminiscent of a muffin top. Crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. They are a light and delicate cookie (well that really does depend on how you big you make them) and taste delicious from the freezer. (They make a good cookie for ice cream sandwiches!)  

I notched up the recipe about however and added double the amount of banana and chocolate chips. I love the added texture and crunch the banana chips give, almost like eating toffee! I have now decided that in all banana and chocolate muffins I make I will be using banana chips, they make it even more so Moorish! I even chose to go all old fashioned and beat the butter without my electric mixer, and it was so much more fulfilling!

I also decided to replace a 1/3 of the flour with Milo. I’m not sure if this altered the ‘airiness’ of the cookies but feel free to try it out. I’m sure any malted milk powder or even a banana flavoured pudding mix would work. For a nuttier version, add some peanuts! We all know peanuts, banana and chocolate are a winning combination!

A little side note, if you do make these cookies and intend to give them to a friend, don’t carry them in 36 degrees heat... they will just crumble in your brown paper bag!

Banana and Choc Chip Cookies

2 1/3 cups plain flour (or 2 cups flour, 1/3 cup Milo / malted milk powder)

1 teaspoon baking soda

A pinch of salt

250 g butter, softened

¾ cups packed brown sugar

½ cup raw sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 large (overripe) banana, peeled and mashed

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup chopped banana chips

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and lay baking paper over two trays

Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl

Beat the butter an both sugars into a bowl with an electric mixer at high speed (or by hand) until creamy, add in an egg one at a time until just blended and stir in the vanilla

Using a spoon beat in the mashed banana, followed by the flour (in 4 sections) and then stir in the chocolate and banana chips

Drop teaspoons of dough on to the baking sheets and bake one tray at a time for 15 minutes (or until the cookies are a golden colour). Remove from the tray and let it cool on a wire rack. ( I used the same baking tray three times to save washing up if you find you have run out of space)

Makes about 30 plus, enjoy! I know I did!