Oatmeal, Banana, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip Cookies

A mouthful of a name for a cookie, isn't it? I suppose that's what you get when an amateur baker makes up her own cookie recipe. This is a modified/combined recipe from Betty Crocker's basic peanut butter cookies and a chocolate chip banana bar recipe from a unique cookie cookbook.

Oatmeal, Banana, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 C. white sugar
1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. shortening
1/2 C. peanut butter (chunky or creamy, whatever you like)
1 egg
3-4 very ripe bananas
Splash of milk
1/2 to 1 C. quick-cooking oatmeal (or 2-3 oatmeal packets, any flavor)
1-1/4 C. flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt

Combine sugars and egg til creamed (lighter in color and fluffy). Add remaining wet ingredients and mix well. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Add chocolate chips at the end in whatever amount is demanded by those eating the cookies.



Scoop onto a lightly-sprayed baking sheet (or on parchment paper). Press down ever so slightly. They will only spread a little bit. Bake at 375 for 8-12 minutes, depending on your oven. Place on a cooling rack until cool enough to handle so you can eat them faster. Store in an airtight container.

These are great for lunches because they are so wholesome with the bananas and oatmeal. You could add raisins or nuts too if you (or your little students) like them.

COOKIE TIP: Cookies will continue to cook for a short time after leaving the oven, so pull them from the oven just before they look done. If they look done in the oven, they'll likely be overdone by time you get them off the baking sheet.

Trailhead Cookies

In order to get ready for the coming couple weeks, I did some prep-cooking yesterday. I like to make batches of cookie dough and put them in the freezer for later use - cookies anytime! Also, I needed to get some bread dough made for buns and pizza that are on the menu next week.

Here's a fun peanut butter cookie recipe that I modified in order to use up some Trail Mix we had. I'd imagine it would be great for taking with you on hikes as well because it has a lot of protein in it. The original recipe is from my old Betty Crocker cookbook.

1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. peanut butter (either crunchy or smooth - whatever you have)
1 egg
4 Tbsp. milk

Mix all these ingredients until smooth. Then add:

1-1/4 c. all-purpose white or wheat flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix again until thoroughly combined.

Next, take 1 to 2 cups of any kind of trail mix you have and drop it in a food processor. Add enough chocolate chips and/or yogurt chips to make it worth your time eating these cookies. (You know how much you like. ;o) Process on high until coarsely chopped. Add to your dough. Mix again until combined.

Scoop out balls of dough and flatten just slightly. If you're going to freeze these balls, be sure you do flatten them or they won't spread when you bake them later.

Oven info: 375 degrees for 10 minutes on a sprayed cookie sheet.

Remember, when it comes to cookies, take them out before they "look" done. When they look done in the oven, it's too late - they're gonna burn!