I know this are one for debate because is banana bread really bread, and as such is a cookie in the form a banana bread really a cookie? Well yes it's a little more cakey than a cookie, so perhaps these are breakies more than anything else. Either way they are yummy!
Banana Bread Cookies
Makes 16
Hands-on Time 25 minutes plus chilling (overnight)
Baking Time 16 minutes
Ingredients
250g Unsalted butter (softened)
200g Light brown sugar
175g Caster sugar
2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 Eggs, large
400g Plain flour
1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp Fine salt
1 tbsp Instant coffee powder (fine)
3-4 Bananas (ripe but not firm)
200g Pecans
Equipment
Freestanding mixer with paddle and whisk
Spatula
Knife
Baking parchment
Baking sheet (ideally aluminium)
Wire rack
Add the butter, light brown and caster sugars to the bowl of the mixer and beat on a medium-high speed with the paddle for 5 minutes until you have a very light and fluffy mixture.
Add the vanilla and eggs and beat for a couple of seconds until combined.
Add the flour, bicarb, salt, and coffee and again beat for a couple of seconds until combined. Scrape the sides down using a spatula to make sure everything is incorporated.
Halve the bananas and cut into small pieces. You want approx 400 grams. Add the banana to the dough. Roughly chop and add the pecans before giving it a final mix. You shouldn’t need to run the mixer for more than 10 seconds. The key thing is not to over-mix.
Take a sheet of baking parchment and place the dough onto. Shape the dough into a wide, long sausage and roll up before popping it into fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Take the dough out of the fridge, slice into 16 equal rounds. Roll each round into a ball and place onto the lined baking sheet.
Pop the sheet back into the fridge, ideally overnight, so the dough balls can firm up.
Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C (Fan)/325°F/Gas mark 3.
Slide the baking sheet out of the fridge and leave the dough balls on the shelf.
Once the oven has warmed up line the baking sheet with another piece of parchment.
Place approx 6/8 balls spaced about 10cm apart from each other onto the baking parchment.
Pop the tray into the oven on a middle shelf and bake for 16 minutes.
Once the time is up remove the tray from the oven. Slide the parchment carefully, with the cookies, onto the worktop. Re-line with more paper and bake your next batch.
After the cookies have rested for a couple of minutes they should be firm enough for you to transfer onto a wire rack to fully cool. Don’t forget they will get firmer as they cool, as tempting as it is to immediately eat them straight from the oven. Like some things in life, patience pays off.
Enjoy!
