Banana Chip/Chocolate Chip/Walnut Cookies

Make about 3 dozen

Recipe from 101 Cookbooks http://www.101cookbooks.com/

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

These were served at Lost River Market & Deli’s Annual Meeting and were gone lickety split.  So, I decided to give them a try at home to treat my husband and my band mates, and, well, of course, me.  Because they are made with whole-wheat pastry flour and wheat germ, they are a bit healthier than a more traditional cookie.  However, they really taste quite decadent and so your family will love them.

1¾ cups whole-wheat pastry flour (Regular all-purpose white flour will also work.)

½ cup wheat germ, toasted in a dry skillet

½ teaspoon baking soda


½ teaspoon baking powder


Scant ½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt


½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract


2/3 cup banana chips, chopped


1 cup chocolate chips
(I used bittersweet chocolate chips.)

2/3 cup walnuts, toasted in a dry skillet and then chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, racks in middle/upper middle. Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, or stand mixer, beat the butter until lightly and fluffy, then beat in the sugar until it is the consistency of a thick frosting. Beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next, and scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times along the way (important!) Stir in the vanilla. Add the reserved flour mix in two increments, stirring/mixing a bit between each addition (but not too much.) By hand, stir in the banana chips, chocolate chips and walnuts - mix just until everything is evenly distributed.

Drop 1 heaping Tablespoon of dough for each cookie onto the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart and bake for about 7 - 8 minutes, until barely golden on top and bottom. Resist over baking, they will come out dry and not as tasty. Cook on racks.

Note:  If you don’t wish to bake them all at once, drop the dough by the Tablespoon onto a parchment lined baking sheet and then place in the freezer for about 30 minutes.  Place the cookie dough balls into a freezer bag, seal the bag tight and place back into the freezer for later.