Does it seem like you often have some bananas that are ready to be baked? After using a recent batch in my favorite banana bread I wanted to try something new that was portable and, of course, had some chocolate in it. I adapted this (pretty healthy) recipe from Kitchen Karate, and it was very, very tasty, and something I would definitely make again. Because there are no eggs, flour, and almost no sugar in this recipe, I felt like I had to tell people, “just so you know, these are healthy cookies!”, but everyone loved them. They are so chunky and simple, they’re almost like super chocolate granola bars.

Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

• 3 Large, ripe bananas
• 1/2 Cup peanut butter (I like TJ’s organic unsalted)
• 1/4 Canola oil
• 1 Tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 Cups old fashioned or quick oats
• 1/3 Cup shredded coconut
• 1 Tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 Tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 Tsp. salt
• 1-2 Tbsp. turbinado (raw) sugar
• 1/2 Cup dark (semisweet) chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large bowl mash bananas with a fork. Mix in peanut butter, vanilla, and oil.

3. In another bowl mix together oats, coconut, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and sugar. Add dry ingredients to the banana mixture and stir well.  Mix in chocolate chips.

4. Drop dough by large spoonfuls (or medium cookie scoop) onto cookie sheets. Bake 14-16 minutes, or until set and slightly golden brown.

Check out those big banana chunks in the dough! Ready to go into the oven.

If you use a cookie scoop or drop in very rounded spoonfuls, the cookies will stay that way. It’s helpful to gently press them down with a spatula towards the end of baking so they set evenly.

Yum! Bananas, peanut butter, and chocolate, all together? Perfection.

On Monday I was looking for a fun recipe to incorporate some fresh cherries into a batch of cookies to bring to the 4th of July Fireworks. I happened upon this recipe viaForgiving Martha and had to try them (the recipe below is slightly adapted from hers). They are based on the drink by Sonic of the same name (Sonic! Happy hour!) and they were quite delicious.

The cookies tasted best when right out of the oven (what doesn’t?), but will store for 4-5 days in an airtight container. A perfect summertime cookie, I highly recommend them! They were rich, sweet, and light all at the same time.

Cherry Limeade Cookies

Yield 2-3 dozen

• 3/4 cup fresh cherries, diced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. lime zest
• 2 Cups all-purpose flour
• 8 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. instant lemonade mix (I used Country Time)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2/3 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a few baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a small bowl stir together cherries, lime juice, and 2 tbsp. sugar and set aside. 

3. In a larger bowl mix together remaining 6 tbsp. sugar and lime zest until moist. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and lemonade mix and whisk to combine. Add in butter and mix (with your hands!) until you have pea-sized crumbs.

4. Add heavy cream and combine until dough begins to form. Gently stir in cherry mixture. (At this point I thought that there wasn’t quite enough cream so I added about 1 tbsp. more).

5. Using a medium cookie scoop (or tablespoon) spoon dough onto cookie sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes until edges begin to brown. Pick up your favorite Sonic drink to accompany these and enjoy!

I love that the cherry juice turned the dough pink!

Lots of little pink cookies!

A great use of your summer cherries. Yum!

Saturday afternoon some friends were over to watch (and listen to— did anyone else notice those birds?!) the Masters at our apartment. I wanted to try something new but easy so I adapted this recipe, courtesy of Two Peas and Their Pod. I learned recently through these cookies, as well as Busy Day Cake, that adding vanilla pudding into any typical baked good makes it an extra special treat.

Vanilla Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields 4 Dozen medium cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3.4 oz. package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups (1 pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a few baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat together butter and both sugars using a mixer, until creamy, about 4-5 minutes. Add in pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla extract, and beat until blended in. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. Drop the cookie dough by rounded tablespoonful (or medium cookie scoop) onto parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake for 11-13 or until the edges are slightly brown.  Remove from oven and let cookies cool on sheet for about 2 minutes until you remove them to cooling rack to cool completely.

Try and get your hands on one before they’re all eaten up! These were a big hit, and I definitely recommend making them for right when your guests arrive— they are divine when they’re warm, just out of the oven. Enjoy!

Today just feels like a day for cookies. Don’t you sometimes just have that urge to bake? I’m thinking of setting up a weekly baking tradition— so to my friends in Philadelphia, here’s an open invitation to my apartment, on Saturdays, to partake in the goodies. I made these cookies for a bake sale Slip was helping to organize a few weeks ago. Let’s just say they were a hit.

Cappuccino White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

(Adapted from Joy the Baker)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 tbsp. instant espresso
• 1 cup white chocolate chips

1. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and espresso powder.

2. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat together butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and beat 1-2 minutes more. Add the dry ingredients all at once and beat on a low speed until just combined. Using a spatula fold in the white chocolate chips. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 45 minutes-1 hour— this will bring together all the flavors in a really nice, rich way before baking.

3. Right before you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat. Scoop cookie dough by heaping tablespoon onto prepared pans.

4. Bake for about 12 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, then move onto cooling racks until cooled completely. Yields about 3 dozen cookies. Enjoy for several days or invite friends over and enjoy all at once!

Yesterday my cousin Ann and I hit Dorie Greenspan’s week-long pop-up CookieBar at 59th and Park for some incredibly delicious cookies, served by Ms. Greenspan herself. To be honest, I didn’t know it was Dorie until we’d been chatting with her for a few minutes already and my cousin asked what she typically serves as an accompaniment when she makes her Beggar’s Linguini (mushroom soup!) I was so impressed with her sweet, gentle, and incredibly calm nature while dozens of people were cramming into Mizu Salon to nab some cookies, pushing through and flailing cash in the air while shouting out orders for everything. It got even more hectic when the blondies arrived!

I think we walked away with what seemed like half the cookies there, but was probably about forty (eight in a box, below). My cousin was so excited to hear that these cookies freeze well— perfect to serve as dessert after her Beggar’s Linguini dinner party in a few weeks.

Even though she’s saving them for the party, we absolutely had to try some of the cookies when we got home.

While we sipped on Cafe Americano (thank you, Nespresso) we ooh-ed a ahh-ed over these delectable cookies. Clockwise from the top is the chocolate chunker, a berry jammer, a world peace cookie, and another jammer (I think Lemon-pear and spice). I loved the Jammers, sooo much. They tasted like a rich, buttery, shortbread cookie, topped with a berry cobbler. What it really was was multiple kinds of jam from SaraBeth’s and a streusel layer on the very top. How good does that sound? If you’re not salivating yet you definitely will be from the Chocolate Chunkers, which I’ve bookmarked in my baking tab and will definitely be making at home soon. The chewy cookies, spiked with melted chocolate bits, nuts, and dried cherries, were absolutely heavenly. Oh, and we tried the blondies also, and I just have to say— best blondie ever. Perfect caramelization, chewy, like a warm summer day in the middle, crisp on the edges (they were round). Yum.

I loved these cookies, and Dorie’s sweet attitude, calm composure, and obvious love of baking really permeated my day. I absolutely love to bake, and love to enjoy what I bake with my friends and family. Ahhh, if only I could open my own CookieBar one day. For now, all my yummy bites friends will have to come over and try things here— free of charge!

Beware: these are literally the best, most amazing cookies I’ve ever made. I had to try one right after they came out of the oven, which prompted a phone call to my mom to share the news that I’d made the best cookies ever, followed by enormous restraint not to devour the whole batch, allowing them to cool and be shared.

Well, now it is time to share the recipe with you, too. Easy to make, easy to eat- just do it.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields ~3 dozen 

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup all natural creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• ~1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line your baking sheets (2-3) with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars with and electric beater (or stand mixer), for about 3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla. Mix in the egg until combined. Slowly add in the flour mixture until just combined.
4. Use a spoon to stir in the oats and chocolate chips.
5. Drop the dough, 1-2 tbsp each (depends how big you want the cookies) onto the parchment paper, a few inches apart. Bake for ten minutes, or until golden brown, and remove from oven, allowing to cool (if you can resist!).

Enjoy with a cold glass of milk!

Saturday I wanted to make something sweet for my sweetie and Naomi sent along this recipe to use up the extra heath bars I had from Caramel Toffee Fruit Dip. The cookies are a perfect mix of sweet and salty, and bake so nicely with crisp edges and chewy centers. Thanks, Naomi!

Heath Bar Cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups coarsely chopped Heath, Skor, or any chocolate covered toffee bar

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a small bowl sift together flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

3. In a stand mixer (lucky you!) or with a hand mixer (me), cream together butter, sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. Slowly add in flour mixture until well combined.

4. Fold in chopped heath bars. Chill dough for 30 minutes up to overnight.

As you can see I didn’t have nearly enough heath bars, but I think 2 cups might be a bit much, too. I would shoot for 1 1/2 cups.

5. Cover cookies sheets with parchment paper. Scoop cookie dough, 2 tbsp. at a time, onto cookie sheets, placing dough balls about 3 inches apart. (I made half of my cookies 2 tbsp. (really big and chewy!) and half of them 1 tbsp. (small and crispy) and they were all great!) Bake 10-12 minutes, checking after 8 minutes for browned edges. Once the edges are browned remove from oven and allow to cool— if you can wait!— before removing from cookie sheet. Enjoy!

I love zucchini and zucchini bread, so when I happened upon this recipe I was really excited. Zucchini is definitely the vegetable of the summer and it is a really healthy way to make a cake or cookies moist. These cookies are surely unique— they combine zucchini, sweet chocolate, cranberries, and oats.

Don’t be thrown off by the green in the cookies, it’s the tasty zucchini.

The authors of the recipe suggested enjoying these cookies frozen as well. I didn’t freeze them, but either way they were great!

Yummy cookies Carys made us after sledding!