Oatmeal: Mr. Congeniality

I had a backlog of over-ripe bananas recently. Sometimes, when that happens, I’ll whip up a yummy breakfast drink – or, in a serious time crunch, I’ll peel and freeze them for later use. This time, I mused over a photo of Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies from a recent Cooking Light magazine and decided to go full throttle.

For some folks the sight of chocolate chips might be enough to send shivers up their spine and create an instant craving; for me it’s oatmeal. Call me crazy, but I love its texture, nutty flavor, and its congenial ability to partner up with others. If oatmeal has a sun sign, I suspect it would be Taurus: earthy, sexy, and seriously worthy of a frisky romp.

According to Cooking Light, each cookie has 3.6 grams fat and 115 calories; considering the healthy dose of oatmeal, I find this completely within the acceptable range. I might even dig out the chocolate chips and opt for one more cookie. As a footnote, these improve with age, if you can keep them around long for that to happen.

Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
The ripe banana adds sweetness, moisture and flavor and substitutes for some of the usual sugar and butter. Inspired by Cooking Light magazine, July 2009
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, or a combo of white and dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 350° and spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

In mixing bowl, combine first 5 ingredients in mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Add egg and beat well.

Separately combine dry ingredients and add to banana mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls 2" apart. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden. Cool briefly and remove to a rack to cool. Yield: 18-24 cookies ~~