Oatmeal Banana Chip Cookies

I eat a banana every day.  My oldest son had been eating a banana a day too so the last time I went to the grocery store, a loaded up on them.  Well, as you can see, one of us quit eating them every day and that someone wasn't me.

So my job today was to put these bananas to good use and make something everyone in my family would eat.  I decided to use a basic oatmeal cookie recipe and add the bananas and chocolate chips.  Here is my recipe for Oatmeal Banana Chip Cookies.

Cream together a cup of sugar and 3/4 cup of shortening (you could substitute applesauce and/or butter for the shortening).

To this mixture, add an egg,

1 1/2 cups of flour,

1 cup of oatmeal,

1/2 teaspoon soda,

1/2 teaspoon salt,

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon,

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg,

and two bananas - or enough to make 1 cup.

Mix thoroughly.

To this mixture, add a package of mini-chocolate chips.

Mix gently until the chips are well combined.

Drop by the teaspoonful on a non-stick or greased cookie sheet.  These cookies do not spread very much so they can be place pretty close together.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the cookies start to turn golden brown.  Remove from the cookie sheet and cool on wire racks.

You can also add nuts and/or eliminate the chocolate chips.  I made these a few hours ago and there are only a handful of them left.  I guess I'd call them a "hit" in my household!

"Don't expect too much from yourself.  What I like to do when I have a day off is make various cookie doughs and freeze them.  Then I always have that on hand if I need it."  -Giada De Laurentiis