Banana & Oat 'Cookies' [Matt]

Ingredients:
2 - 3 Ripe Bananas
1~ Cup Oats

Optional (Pick a couple):
Dark Chocolate
Peanut Butter
Marmalade
Honey
Fresh Berries
Diced Apple
Chopped Nuts

These are the EASIEST 'cookies' to make in the world - easier than standard oatmeal chocolate chip cookies because there is no butter, egg, sugar or flour used. This also makes them a bit more 'guilt-free' pending what else you decide to throw into them.

First, take ripe bananas, mash them, add your favorite spices (I go with apple pie spice, ginger, vanilla extract), sprinkle of salt - then add in oats until you thicken up the 'batter' to match that of normal oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. The general ratio is 1 cup oats per 2 bananas, pending the size of your fruit (sup ladies).

Dump the mixture onto a baking sheet that has been lightly coated with cooking oil. Chop up your favorite chocolate (I use bakers 55% so it'll melt upon touch) and bake at 400f for 20 - 30 minutes depending how thick you spread your cookies. The 'cookies' are done once the oats begin to brown.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies [Rhonda]

Degree of difficulty: easy
Time: 20 minutes to measure out ingredients, 10 minutes to bake each batch
Serves: many

What is there to say about a well-made oatmeal chocolate chip cookie except that it's amazingly delicious as a wrap-up to a meal. Add a little fruit and it's even semi-healthy, right?

These cookies will be part of a picnic lunch I'm preparing for an autumn leaf excursion to the mountains of North Carolina. Since I'll be in SC visiting my mom, it's a perfect chance to get one with nature and enjoy the explosion of golds and reds.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light or dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 12 ounce bag chocolate chips (chunk variety is great)
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped



Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.
Using a mixer, whip butter and sugar together, add eggs, vanilla.



Add dry ingredients, a little at a time.

By hand, stir in the oats and chocolate chips, and nuts if desired.



Place a heaping tablespoonful of batter onto greased cookie sheet, spacing about 3 inches apart so they won't stick together when baking, and press down with back of spoon to form 1/2 inch thick rounds.



Bake (one cookie sheet at a time) for 8 to 10 minutes total--6 minutes on middle rack, a couple minutes on top rack. If you're new to cookie baking, watch the first batch carefully to get your timing right. Remove the sheet to a rack and let stand until the cookies firm up slightly, about 2 minutes. Transfer the cookies to racks to cool.

These cookies will keep in an airtight container for several days and they freeze well. But nothing's better than a cookie straight from the oven when the chocolate's still gooey and semi-molten. Oh man.

Suggested soundtrack: Marvin Gaye's "When A Man Loves A Woman," my preference over Percy Sledge