Better Than Banana Bread?
Yes, I said Banana SCOOKIES. That is not a typo! I meant to write Scookies, not cookies. If you are unfamiliar with the term, I suggest you read their full origin story here. The important thing to know is that they are a cross between a scone and a cookie. They are similar to a cookie bar but with a delightful scone texture. If you read my last two posts you know how much I dislike waiting for my butter to come to room temperature. If you are like me, then you will love this recipe. That’s right it uses fridge temperature butter — you’re welcome 😉 If you have some ripe bananas and you want to make something more unique and exciting than banana bread, give these a try!
The Scookie Method
The recipe starts with some traditional cookie ingredients with the addition of ripe banana, a bit of cinnamon and a pinch of allspice. The combination is delicious. Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lining a 9 by 9 baking pan with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla on medium speed. Then add the egg and mashed banana. It will look a bit lumpy or slushy, as the butter will not be fully combined with the other wet ingredients.
In a separate bowl, you will combine all of the dry ingredients and spices. Then add the dry to the wet and FOLD them together. Do not overmix them but make sure there are no pockets of dry ingredients left. The dough will be thick, slightly sticky and hard to spread. Add the chocolate chips. Spread it evenly into the lined pan with a spatula. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer or toothpick comes out mostly clean. Place the pan on a cooling rack and let it cool completely. Then cut them into squares, serve and enjoy!
Banana Scookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Unsalted Butter (Fridge Temperature!)
- ½ cup Brown Sugar (packed)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 egg (Fridge Temperature)
- ½ cup Mashed Ripe Banana
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp Allspice
- ⅓ cup Chocolate Chips (optional)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9×9 pan with parchment.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg and mashed banana and continue to beat for an additional 3 minutes. The mixture should look wet and lumpy. The butter will be in small chunks but not combined with the rest of the ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and whisk them well.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry, folding together until just combined.
- Add the chocolate chips.
- The dough will be a bit sticky and hard to spread. Use a spatula to spread it into the pan as evenly as possible.
- Place the pan in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
- Allow them to cool on a cooling rack. Then cut into squares and enjoy!
