Hannah's Bananas

Submitted by Foxfire13

"This is another Hannah Swensen recipe direct from The Cookie Jar in Lake Eden, Minnesota to you! These cookies freeze well and since the recipe makse so many you might want to do just that. Roll them up in foil, place the rolls in a freezer bag, and they will last up to 3 months!"

 

• Ready In: 4hrs 40mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Yields: 10 dozen

ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups melted butter (3 sticks)
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3⁄4 cup mashed very ripe banana (2 medium or 3 small)
• 4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 beaten eggs (just whip them up with a fork)
• 4 cups flour (no need to sift)
• 2 cups finely chopped walnuts (measure AFTER chopping) or 2 cups pecans (measure AFTER chopping)
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar, for later

directions

1. Melt butter in a large microwavable bowl. Stir in the sugar, beaten eggs, baking soda, and salt. Choose bananas that have black freckles on the skin so they are almost over ripe. Mash them until they're smooth (you can do this in a food processor or by hand.) Add the banana puree and mix throughly. Mix in the flour and then the nuts. Cover your bowl and refrigerate it for 4 hours (overnight is fine, too).
2. When you're ready to bake, preheat the over to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
3. Roll the chilled dough into walnut-sized balls with your hands. (This dough is quite sticky-you can wear plastic gloves if you like, or wet your hands slightly so the dough won't stick to them.) Put 1/2 cup white sugar in a small bowl and roll the balls in it. Place the dough balls on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a sheet. Press them down just a little so they won't roll off when you put them in the oven. Then return your bowl to the refrigerator and let it chill until it's time to roll more.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees F., or until they're lightly golden in color. They'll flatten out, all by themselves. Let them cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet and then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Reviews

[karolinecoupons]

Yummy. I first made these after reading the book. This was the first recipe I tried from the Hannah Swensen series and I was hooked. I switched the walnuts to pecans just because I had then on hand and I like it better with pecans. Everyone likes these but seriously don't spoon out the cookie dough too big because they will be huge. This is my go to cookie.

 

[cemorton]

I really love making these cookies. I warn people that you inhale rather than eating them. No one believes me until after they've eaten their first half dozen. If you want to make them nut free you can substitute rolled oats and it works fine. Next time I'll toast them before added them for more or a nut crunch.

 

[MittaMean83]

I love these cookies!!! Making anything from the Hannah Swensen Mystery series reminds me of my grandma... When she was sick she used to listen to all the books we could get on CD for her!!!