Hybrid Banana Chocolate Chip Cookie Popper Recipe

Kitchenaid mixer for chocolate chip cookiesSince my random foray into cookie making this afternoon prompted such a delicious response on Facebook, with requests for the recipe, I will deliver.

First of all, there is an emotion to this baking. Kind of like in Like Water for Chocolate. I don't know what prompted me to make these cookies in the middle of a busy work day, but I did. And sometimes that motivation makes a difference. Favorite parts about making cookies:

1. I get to mix them in our new ice blue wedding KitchenAid. I like adding ingredients. I don't measure anything, but do follow a recipe. So be careful.
2. I like the batter. I get a hankering for batter, and make the chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes an entire day can go by without me tasting the finished product.

But you really want the recipe for the hybrid banana chocolate chip cookie poppers. Here it is. In my language:

INGREDIENTS
2 sticks of butter (1 cup) - room temperature (Yes, do this 2-3 hrs before. Do not microwave it.)
2 eggs
1 overripe banana (brown on all sides, almost ready for trash)
3/4 cups white granulated sugar
3/4 cups brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla (a generous tsp)
2ish cups flour
1 tsp dashes of baking soda
several dashes of salt
1/2 or 3/4 bag of 11.5oz chocolate chips
muffin tin

DIRECTIONS
Several hours before you are ready to mix the ingredients, take the butter out of the fridge and let it get to room temperature. It is advised to do this with the eggs as well, but if you have a tendency to forget to make this recipe in time, then leave the eggs in the fridge. The banana should be already overripe ie several days old.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degree F.

In a bowl of appropriate size, combine the flower, baking soda and salt.

In a mixing bowl, mix the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the banana. If you're not already beating on slow, turn your beater or mixer onto a slower speed. Not the slowest, but slower. Gradually pour in the flour mixture. Make sure all of the batter gets mixed and is not stuck inside the whisks. Use a rubber spatula to gingerly push the batter down the sides of the bowl, if it has been pushed up. Beat for about 1.5 minutes. Do not over-beat (it might encourage the cookies to be flat).
HINT: If the batter has gathered in the center of the spinning whisks, lift the whisks out of the batter (but not out of the bowl) and the batter will spin off, back into the bowl.

Let sit for 2 minutes. Do the dishes in the meantime. Or lightly grease the muffin tin with butter. You'll need to grease the muffin tins even if they are teflon.

Take your rubber spatula and/or a spoon and drop dollops of batter into each muffin tin. Fill a little less than 75%.

Cook for 10 minutes or until just after you smell the best smell of chocolate chip banana bread coming out of the oven. Not right as the good smell happens, but right after.

Please let us know how they turned out! And if you have your own twist to the recipe, please share.