Who Doesn't Love a Hybrid?

Cookie of the Week: Installment 3

Banana Oatmeal White Chocolate Chunkers are perfect for the lunchbox.

Bananas are a staple in this house. I may have mentioned this a time or two, or 40, before, but it really bears repeating. We eat them just as they are and in smoothies, but there are usually a few overripe ones kicking around. I show them no mercy. It's to the oven for those slightly-past-their-prime bananas, to be gobbled up in muffins, quick bread and, today, cookies. (See the link in the index at left, cleverly titled "banana," for older banana-related posts.)

These cookies, the third installment in my we'll-see-how-long-this-lasts Cookie of the Week series, reflect my love of banana bread and chewy oatmeal cookies. They also reflect my freaked-out realization this morning that we are out of eggs. 

Eggs. Of all things. 

Anyway, I improvised, and they turned out as I had hoped. A little chewy and oat-riddled. A little banana bread-y. A lot yummy.

Banana Oatmeal White Chocolate Chunkers

2 medium very ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla

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2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 teaspoon salt

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1/4 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon baking soda

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4 cups rolled oats

12 ounces white chocolate, roughly chopped (I used 3 Ghirardelli bars)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In small bowl, whisk together flour, spices and salt. Set aside.

In large bowl, cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add mashed banana and vanilla, beating well. Add flour mixture, but don't mix in just yet.

Dissolve baking soda in water. Add this concoction with flour mixture to bowl with the rest of the party, and stir to combine.

Stir in rolled oats and white chocolate chunks.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls (or use a scoop, like I did) onto cookie sheets. Flatten mounds of dough with back of spoon/scoop.

Bake in preheated oven for 9-10 minutes. Leave cookies to cool on sheet for about a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.