A few (well, several) years ago I worked in a law office with a wonderful, funny, smart, friendly, loving and fabulous woman named Mary Alice Smith. If you knew her you're lucky - if you didn't, I'm sorry. She only worked once in a while (her son-in-law was a partner in the firm) and she ordered supplies and brought in cookies! Any paperwork she did she tagged with her initials MAS. We saw lots of MAS paperwork floating around the office. She had the best laugh and was feisty and sassy! MAS brought these cookies to the office A LOT!! I sort of forgot about them (yeah, my brain is half dead sometimes) until her cutest granddaughter Jyl of momitforward.com posted a little video on facebook about her grandmother and talked about these cookies. I have made them 3 times in 2 weeks. Mary Alice always put chocolate chips in hers - we prefer pecans but you may want pecans AND chocolate chips. I love these cookies - they don't require a mixer. Just a LARGE bowl (it's a huge batch) and a sturdy spoon. Jyl says she likes them frozen but I've never had them last long enough to freeze. We had a church party here at our house with a lot of males in attendance and they devoured 5 dozen of them in about 1.5 minutes (well, really hours). Make them - you won't be sorry!
MARY ALICE's BANANA COOKIES w/oatmeal
Preheat oven to 375
3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 t. soda
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 t. cinnamon
Stir all of the above dry ingredients in a large bowl. With a pastry cutter or two knives cut in :
1 1/2 c. butter (her recipe calls for shortening, but I use butter)
When butter is incorporated into the dry ingredients add:
2 beaten eggs
2 c. mashed banana
Stir well and add
3 1/2 cups oatmeal (I have used quick cooking and regular. Regular oatmeal makes them a little chewier but either one works fine)
Add:
1 - 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (or walnuts)
1-2 cups of chocolate chips (these are optional)
Drop approx. 2 T. of dough onto a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with Pam. Bake 8-10 min. Do not overbake. I like 9 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack to cool. Store covered or freeze (like Jyl says).