Banana Chip Cookies

Last night I made the most heavenly cookies. I found the recipe at one of my favorite cooking blogs, 101 Cookbooks. They are chocolate chip cookies with dried banana pieces and walnuts. The recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour and natural cane sugar, but notes that you can substitute with whole wheat flour and brown sugar, respectively. Since I didn't have either readily on hand, I made the substitutions, and the cookies still turned out great. These cookies are fluffy and chewy, and definitely my new favorites! Enjoy!

Banana Chip Cookie Recipe

If you can't find whole wheat pastry flour, regular all-purpose while flour will work. If you can't find wheat germ, substitute an equal amount of flour. I look for organic banana chips - the ones I like are made with organic coconut oil and bananas.

1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (see head notes)
1/2 cup (toasted) wheat germ

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup natural cane sugar (or brown sugar)

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2/3 cup banana chips, loosely chopped

1 cup chocolate chips

2/3 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, racks in middle/upper middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, or stand mixer, beat the butter until lightly and fluffy, then beat in the sugar until it is the consistency of a thick frosting. Beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next, and scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times along the way (important!). Stir in the vanilla. Add the reserved flour mix in two increments, stirring/mixing a bit between each addition (but not too much). By hand, stir in the banana chips, chocolate chips and walnuts - mix just until everything is evenly distributed.

Drop 1 heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie onto the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart and bake for about 7 - 8 minutes, until barely golden on top and bottom. Resist over baking, they will come out dry and not as tasty. Cool on racks.

Makes about 24 cookies.