BLOG REVIVAL & Oatmeal Banana Cookies

It's time to revive this blog and wake it from its looooong nap! Let's do this thing.  In honor of this grand occasion (I know - not really grand but...) I'm posting a cookie recipe.  Cookies - are there a MILLION, or BILLION cookie recipes out there? Yes, but this one is ONE in a million, I promise.

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). 

Starbucks Banana Walnut Bread

I had some bananas sitting on my counter that just kept getting more ripe by the day and I finally got around to making some banana bread.  I went looking on Pinterest to find a yummy new recipe and I think I found one that I will keep making over and over.  I found the recipe on Heidi Bakes and the struesel center she uses is beyond amazing.  I don't think I'll ever make banana bread without it!

Starbucks Banana Walnut Bread

• 3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons buttermilk or milk
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease one loaf pan
2. Mix sugar, oil, egg, vanilla, buttermilk, and bananas in a mixing bowl. Combine completely.
3. Add in flour, soda, and salt, and 1/2 cup of the walnuts.
4. Pour into the pan, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts over the top of the batter slightly pressing in the walnuts.
5. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes. Use a tester to check if it is cooked internally.
6. Cool and remove from the pan.

Struesel Layer
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
(these are approximate amounts. add more or less struesel, depending on your taste)

Mix together & sprinkle the mixture over a thin layer of batter in a prepared loaf pan. Cover with additional batter and bake.