Banana Cookies

Today was the official first day of summer, but the skies were overcast and promising rain.  I had a house full of boys and Netflix decided to take a vacation, leaving them craving something to do.  Luckily, a neighbor had some over ripe bananas that needed to be used so she donated them to the cause.  The boys LOVE baking and I thought we would whip up something special.

Our palates are nearing banana bread overload, so I scrounged around for an old recipe I found in a church cookbook years ago.  The recipe reminds me of banana bread, but the texture is unique and offers us a new twist. 

These little cookies are the right size for small hands and they are so soft and sweet-  Perfect for a rainy day!

Here is what you will need:

• 2-3 bananas mashed
• 3/4 cup shortening (we used half butter/half shortening)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups flour

• 6 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 Tablespoons milk
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups powder sugar

Here is what you do:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease your cookie sheets.
• Mix the bananas, shortening, brown sugar until creamy.

• Add 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 2 cups flour.   Mix well.
• Drop a tablespoon of batter onto a greased cookie sheet.  They will spread as they cook, so I spaced them about 2 inches apart.

• Bake them for about 8 minutes.  They will be soft-  not hard.  You will want to keep an eye on them to keep them from burning. 
• Remove from oven and let cool.

• Prepare the frosting:  Bring 6 tablespoons brown sugar, 4 tablespoons milk, and 4 tablespoons butter to a boil.  Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 2 cups powdered sugar.  Mix and let set for a few minutes before frosting the cookies.

• Eat and Enjoy!

Do you have any fun ways to use old bananas?