Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

While I have always and will always maintain that I am not the "housewife" type but since being made redundant I have actually been enjoying my time at home.  It has given me some time to actually relax and I am really feeling better for it.  I have also been able to do some blogging and sharing of recipes with you all which gives me great pleasure.  Not to mention I have had time to catch up on other websites/blogs I follow and also find some new ones to read.

 

Today while looking for inspiration for some old bananas (I hate wasting food) I came across a website that I really like.  Averie Cooks is a vibrant and fresh site full of quick and easy recipes that are uncomplicated and easy to follow.  And that is exactly where I found this recipe for Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

 

While I adapted the recipe the results was perfect.  Crispy yet soft cookies with a bold banana flavor married with scrumptious milk chocolate laced with a hint of cinnamon.  The rolled oats complimented the cookies giving them a homemade texture and that old fashioned appeal.  Do not use instant or quick-cook as they will not give the same outcome.

 

Don't overbake even if they don't look cooked.  The cookies firm up as they cool.  These will keep for about 1 week in a sealed container if they last that long! 

 

 

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Recipe adapted from Averie Cooks)

 

Makes: approx. 20

 

1 large egg

2 small/medium or 1 extra-large ripe bananas

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

60 grams unsalted butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 1/4 cups plain flour

1/2 cinnamon, added to taste

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

200 grams milk chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or an electric mixer) combine the egg, bananas, sugars, butter, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well combined. 

 

Add the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.  Add 3/4 of the chocolate chips, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.

 

Line a baking tray with baking paper and spray with cooking spray. 

 

Using a spoon or your hands form equal-sized mounds of dough approximately 1/4 cup in size.  Place on the baking tray spaced apart.  Strategically place a few chocolate chips on top of each cookie.

 

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

 

Bake for about 13 minutes (for very soft cookies, longer for more well-done cookies), or until edges have set and tops are just set. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking sheet.

 

 

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe).

 

Blueberry Coconut and Banana Muffins

I'm pretty sure that these will be the last of the banana muffins for awhile as I have decided due to the lack of interest in eating them (my kids are on a non fruit vigil at the moment I am certain) I've decided to stop buying them for a while.  However saying this everyone at work has been enjoying my recently baked muffins, although I have been told that the Banana Crumble Muffins are still the favourite.

I really enjoyed this combination  - the juiciness of the blueberries combined with the added sweetness and nuttiness of the coconut added perfectly to the subtle undertones of the banana and cinnamon.  Personally I think this one is a winner!

Blueberry, Coconut and Banana Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Smart Points Per Serve: SP Warning

1 1/2 cups self raising flour

1 cup white sugar
1 cup shredded coconut

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 medium, ripe bananas

1 egg

1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoon vanilla extract
250 grams frozen blueberries

Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.

In another bowl, mash the bananas. Add egg, oil, milk, cinnamon and vanilla and mix well.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients and stir until it just comes together

Fill prepared muffin tins evenly.

Bake muffins for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Banana Crumble Muffins

Noel has annual leave this week and it was so nice to come home to dinner already cooked for us (Noel cooked Shepherds Pie - a family favourite) .... so with nothing else to do I had a "Stepford Wife" moment and decided to do some baking.  I really enjoy baking but find myself so time poor at times that it is impossible to squeeze the extra enjoyable activity in unless I have nothing to do or I get bored.

 

So with the urge to bake then came the huge decision of what to bake??  Looking across to the fruit bowl I spotted a few bananas left from last weeks' shop (so they were nice and ripe).  Banana muffins came to mind but I didn't want to make just the normal banana muffins - you know the boring ones with no character or define flavour.  Searching through recipe books and googling I remember that I had recently come a different recipe on the Rachael Ray website.

 

Ok armed with all the ingredients I went ahead and made Banana Crumble Muffins... Perfect Banana Crumble Muffins.  Oh and WOW they were perfect...

 

Moist on the inside, crunchy crumble topping... so nice especially while still a little warm.  Definitely a flavour explosion in your mouth.  The crumble topping will be used again on other fruit muffins but this recipe is a keeper.

Banana Crumble Muffins

(recipe adapted from Rachael Ray)

Makes 12 muffins

Smart Points Per Serve: SP Warning

Crumble topping

3/4 cup plain flour

1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar

3 tablespoons white sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

6 tablespoons cold reduced fat butter (cut into small pieces)

Muffins

1 1/2 cups self raising flour

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 medium, ripe bananas

1 egg

1/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, light brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt. Then with your hands, work in the butter until large clumps form. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.

In another bowl, mash the bananas. Add egg, oil and vanilla and mix well.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients and stir until it just comes together

Fill prepared muffin tins halfway then evenly distribute crumble topping over the muffins.

Bake muffins for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

(Click here for a printable version of this recipe)

Banana Bread Supreme

Banana bread is a really treat especially as it is often made using lots of butter or oil but this Banana Bread Supreme contains no dairy at all and is not only very easy to makes it's delish. 

Only a handful of ingredients sees this mixed together within minutes.  The riper the bananas the more intense the flavour.... so I tend to let my bananas sit on the bench until the skin is black and the bananas very soft.

Served hot or cold you will be amazed by this Banana Bread.

Banana Bread Supreme

(recipe sourced from Best Recipes)

 

Serves: 12

ProPoints per serve: 2

 

3 ripe medium bananas, mashed

2 tablespoons golden syrup

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 egg

1 cup self-raising flour

1 pinch salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar

Heat oven to 180C and grease and line the base of a loaf tin.

Mash bananas in a medium sized bowl, then add golden syrup.

Add caster sugar and mix well.

Add egg, sifted flour and salt and lightly mix until just combined.

Pour mixture into loaf tin and lightly sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

 

 

 

(click here for a printable version of this recipe)