Banana Walnut "Muffin" Cookies

Banana, walnuts, and chocolate chips
all in one cookie!

So ran into a little dilemma with this recipe? Well many actually but the most important was…What the heck did I just bake?! 

It started off as a cookie but after coworkers gave them a try it became a muffin top. It's got the shape and all the normal baking ingredients and steps of a cookie. But it's got a soft and airy texture that you can't help compare  to that first bite of a perfect morning banana nut muffin. Without the crumbly mess. That muffin and coffee was my idea of a perfect breakfast. Well that and Bill-Miller tacos. Just ask my roommate. Better yet any of my past classmates who saw me run in past ten with a Starbucks or Bill Miller cup in my hand all thru college.

Now back to the matter at hand. Could it possibly be a little of both with a hint of "pretty damn delicious"? I blame the ripe bananas for that soft texture and sweet smell.  Haven't figured it out just yet but glad about whatever screw up I did when I bit into these cookies…muffins…uh I let you decide.

Prep: 20 mins

Bake: 350°F, 10 - 12 minutes

Cool: 15 minutes

Yield: about 25 cookies

Banana Walnut Chocolate Muffin Cookies (It's mouthful, I know.)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large bananas, mashed

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups of flour

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice (optional)

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Let butter and eggs sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes and preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl beat butter on medium speed until smooth. Add in both sugars 1/4 cup at a time and beat until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat just until combined. Do the same with vanilla extract.

2. In a small bowl mix mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for a couple minutes. In a medium bowl combine the flour, salt, and spices.

With a wooden spoon combine the banana mixture into the butter mixture. It will be a workout. You can do it with a hand mixer instead but I feel you run the risk of the banana becoming too mushy.

3. Fold the walnuts and chocolate chips into the batter. With a small ice cream scoop or 2 table spoons drop dough about 2 inches apart on sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Bake 10-12 minutes.

4. Let sit about 5 minutes on pan and place on cooling rack for about 10 minutes.

Recipe Inspiration: BHG Taste of Home Coconut Crunch Cookies

Sweet Flukes

I did the recipe 3 times. Only one was a screw up and oddly enough it wasn't on the first try but the second. I would have thought I had it down at that point but obviously not. Well it turns out one of the many dangers of late night baking is the late night reading. 

I added ingredients that weren't listed. After a late night of stressful and unsuccessful baking it wasn't until the third try I realized my flukes. As I read through that recipe a third time I glanced at that lonely baking powder on the kitchen counter. Shaking my head. It was all I could do at that moment.

I replaced baking soda with baking powder. Both are leavening agents but baking powder contains about one-third of baking soda. Hence the lack of rise and we like rise. In my defense I was half asleep.

Fluke two was just too much banana. The runny batter was kind of give away that I may have over done it but I of course had to finish it. I accepted the fail after that first bite.

On the bright-side they were quick fixes and now all is right with the world.