Banana cookies recipe
 Like all banana cookies these are quite soft and cakey, but the dark chocolate and chopped nuts give tons of great flavour without being overly sweet. 150g/5½oz unsalted butter, at room temperature175g/6oz golden caster sugar 1 medium egg, lightly beaten175g/6oz plain flour½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda ½ teaspoon ground cinnamonpinch salt75g/2½oz pecans (or walnuts), roughly chopped75g/2½oz dark chocolate chips2 ripe bananas (200g/7oz peeled weight), mashed 150g/5½oz unsalted butter, at room temperature 175g/6oz golden caster sugar 1 medium egg, lightly beaten 175g/6oz plain flour ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon pinch salt 75g/2½oz pecans (or walnuts), roughly chopped 75g/2½oz dark chocolate chips 2 ripe bananas (200g/7oz peeled weight), mashed Method Cream the butter with the sugar in a free-standing mixer until pale and light – this will take about 3 minutes. Scrape down the insides of the bowl from time to time to ensure that all of the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. (Alternatively use a hand mixer and a large bowl.)Add the egg and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt into the bowl and mix until barely combined. Add the pecans (or walnuts), chocolate chips and mashed banana and mix again until all of the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Cover the bowl and chill for 1 hour (see Recipe Tips).Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.Shape level tablespoons of dough into balls and place on the prepared baking sheets leaving plenty of space between each one to allow for spreading during cooking. Slightly flatten each cookie with your hands and bake in batches on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 11–12 minutes until crisp on top and golden brown. The cookies will still be slightly soft but will crisp further on cooling. Remove from the oven and leave on the baking sheets. These cookies will be slightly soft due to the banana and should be stored in an airtight container. Cream the butter with the sugar in a free-standing mixer until pale and light – this will take about 3 minutes. Scrape down the insides of the bowl from time to time to ensure that all of the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. (Alternatively use a hand mixer and a large bowl.) Cream the butter with the sugar in a free-standing mixer until pale and light – this will take about 3 minutes. Scrape down the insides of the bowl from time to time to ensure that all of the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. (Alternatively use a hand mixer and a large bowl.) Add the egg and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt into the bowl and mix until barely combined. Add the pecans (or walnuts), chocolate chips and mashed banana and mix again until all of the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Cover the bowl and chill for 1 hour (see Recipe Tips). Add the egg and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt into the bowl and mix until barely combined. Add the pecans (or walnuts), chocolate chips and mashed banana and mix again until all of the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Cover the bowl and chill for 1 hour (see Recipe Tips). Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Shape level tablespoons of dough into balls and place on the prepared baking sheets leaving plenty of space between each one to allow for spreading during cooking. Slightly flatten each cookie with your hands and bake in batches on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 11–12 minutes until crisp on top and golden brown. The cookies will still be slightly soft but will crisp further on cooling. Shape level tablespoons of dough into balls and place on the prepared baking sheets leaving plenty of space between each one to allow for spreading during cooking. Slightly flatten each cookie with your hands and bake in batches on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for 11–12 minutes until crisp on top and golden brown. The cookies will still be slightly soft but will crisp further on cooling. Remove from the oven and leave on the baking sheets. These cookies will be slightly soft due to the banana and should be stored in an airtight container. Remove from the oven and leave on the baking sheets. These cookies will be slightly soft due to the banana and should be stored in an airtight container. Recipe tips Remember, the riper the bananas are, the more flavour you’ll get in the end product! This is quite a wet dough so chilling it really makes it easier to handle and helps the cookies hold a good shape. If you are short of time you can speed it up by putting it in the freezer for 10–15 minutes and giving the dough a quick stir every 5 minutes (it's ready to use when a spoonful holds its shape when placed on the baking tray). If you want to skip chilling the dough completely, be aware that the dough will spread even further when baked, so you might want to use 3 baking trays to space the cookies well apart.