I like to give new life to old ideas. Banana splits seem to have fallen by the wayside in dessert goals, sadly. This cookie revives the nostalgia of the banana split in a more compact, less melty fashion. The dough is unapologetically rife with bananas, the milk and white chocolates add richness, the crushed peanuts add crunch and saltiness, and the cherries round out the cookie with sweet tanginess. These cookies have a texture that is out of this world- a little cakey, a little chewy, and super moist.
Bowl #1
1 stick [113 grams] butter, softened
1/2 cup [85 grams] granulated sugar
1/2 cup [100 grams] light brown sugar
Bowl #2
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon banana extract
Bowl #3
2 [185 grams] overly ripe bananas, smashed
Bowl #4
1 1/2 cups [200 grams] all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dry milk powder, optional but nice
Bowl #5
3/4 cup [85 grams] crushed honey roasted peanuts
3/4 cup [100 grams] dried cherries, chopped
1 cup [170 grams] milk chocolate chips
1 cup [170 grams] white chocolate chips
1
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2
In the first bowl, cream together the butter and sugars for five minutes.
3
Add the second bowl to the first bowl and continue to cream for another 3 minutes.
4
Add the bowl of bananas to the first bowl and continue to cream for another minute.
5
Whisk together the dry ingredients in the fourth bowl and add into the first bowl. Mix until just combined.
6
Stir the fifth bowl into the cookie dough ensuring everything is evenly distributed.
7
Chill the dough in the fridge for one hour. Portion the cookie dough with a cookie scoop or spoon- I like these cookies big so I used a three ounce scoop. Freeze the portioned cookie dough for one hour.
8
Place the portioned and chilled cookie dough on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake until the cookies are set and golden brown. For me, that took 40 minutes. Yes, I know, 40 minutes for cookies is crazy but it's important to cookie these babies low and slow. Let cool.
