A different use for extra ripe bananas: Oven Dried Bananas

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Bananas are a regular purchase during our weekly grocery shopping trip. However, for us the window of opportunity for eating them is very short, so we end up with too many that weren't chosen and have now become too ripe for our taste. I usually do one of two things - make banana bread with them or freeze them for another use later (usually banana bread). Although I love banana bread, especially the recipe I posted two summers ago, I wanted to try something a little healthier. The recipe only uses one stick of butter which isn't bad when you eat 1/16 of the loaf like most recipes say is the serving size. But when you're like me, one serving is about 1/8 of the loaf and I usually eat a couple servings a day. Did I really say "only one stick of butter"? I might have a problem... Anyway, here is recipe for dried bananas that is exactly what it sounds like - just dried bananas. No sugar added. Much better for you than those sugary banana chips you can buy at the grocery store. The only thing that is helpful to add is lemon juice, just a light brushing over the tops to help prevent the bananas from turning too brown. 

Next time you have bananas that are a little too ripe, try drying them. I'm planning to make more tomorrow!


Oven Dried Bananas
*Update: I had said you need to brush the slices with lemon juice, but I discovered it doesn't make a difference whether you do or not! Also, if you want your bananas crunchier, leave them in for 4-5 hours.

Ingredient: Ripe bananas that are firm enough to slice

Preheat oven to the lowest temperature possible, mine was about 170-180 degrees F. Slice bananas no more than 1/4 inch thick. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat, arrange the bananas as close to one another as possible without letting them touch.

Bake for 2-3 hours or until dried. They will be soft when you remove them from the oven, but will stiffen up a little as they cool. To determine whether they're done, you may want to take one off the sheet  while it's still in the oven and test it by letting it cool to see if it is dried enough for your liking.

Mine cooked longer than I wanted because the plumber was here for an hour and a half and my kitchen is so small that I couldn't get them out of the oven! They turned out great though. The temperature is low enough that they really can't overcook unless you forget about them and leave the house or something.

Store in an airtight container.

Chewy Molasses Spice Cookies

As promised yesterday, here is a delicious and easy recipe for molasses spice cookies. This was the first time I'd made these cookies in a long time, and after tasting one (or two or three), I couldn't believe I've missed out on eating these every Christmas!

These are the ultimate chewy cookie. The molasses adds the best texture and the spices add great flavor. You don't need a mixer to make this - just melt the butter and stir everything together. So easy! You can make the dough ahead of time, refrigerate it, and bake later.

This recipe came from Got Milk? The Cookie Book and all I changed was adding more salt.

Molasses Spice Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

1 1/2 sticks salted or unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup dark unsulphured molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten

In a small or medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the molasses and vanilla. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, 1 cup sugar, baking soda, spices, and salt. Whisk to combine.

Add the beaten egg to the cooled butter mixture and mix well with a fork. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Cover the bowl and refirgerate until firm enough to form balls, about 15 minutes. While dough is in the fridge, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Pour remaining 1/3 cup sugar into small bowl. Scoop out walnut-size pieces of the dough and roll into 1-inch balls. Toss the balls in the sugar to coat completely and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the centers no longer appear raw. For chewier cookies, take them out sooner. For crispy cookies, leave them in longer. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

These last a long time if they're stored in an airtight container. Serve with a cup of coffee or tea.

Merry Christmas and may you be blessed as you reflect on our Savior's birth!

Snappy or Soft, Gingersnaps are a Christmas Favorite that Deserve a Comeback

My goal this year has been to try new kinds of Christmas cookies. I always make the same spritz and frosted sugar cookies, but I rarely make molasses-based cookies. The other day I made molasses spice cookies (come back tomorrow for recipe) which were soft, chewy, and so amazing! Then, because I had eaten and given them all away, I wanted more cookies so I decided to make gingersnaps. I think this was my first time making them. I think the only real difference is the amount of butter, mixing method, and the spices. Gingersnaps just have ginger and cinnamon, while molasses spice cookies have all the usual Christmas spices - cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger.

I wanted to make some gingersnaps that were more crispy and some that were softer. I found that it's all about the length of time they're baked. Take them out earlier than you think if you want them to stay soft, and leave them in a little longer for snappier cookies.

These look beautiful to give as gifts. Or serve them for dessert with a cup of tea. I thought it would be easy to eat just one, because they couldn't be nearly as irresistible as chocolate chip cookies, but I was wrong. I had three with my coffee the other morning... oops. Hopefully yours turn out as good as mine did.

Gingersnaps (from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters)
1½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
11 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup mild-flavored molasses (sometimes called ‘light’ molasses)
1 large egg, at room temperature

2 cups flour

Coarse (or granulated) sugar crystals for coating the cookies

Stir together the dry ingredients in medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter just until soft and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to beat until smooth, stopping the mixer to scrape down any butter clinging to the sides of the bowl. Mix in the vanilla, molasses and egg. Mix in the dry ingredients gradually until the dough is smooth.

Divide the dough in two equal portions and place each on its own piece of plastic wrap. Form into logs about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap each in plastic wrap then roll them lightly on the counter to smooth them out. Refrigerate, or better yet, freeze the cookie logs until firm.

To bake, preheat the oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Slice cookie dough into 1/4-inch rounds with a sharp knife. Dip one side and press firmly in a bowl of coarse or granulated sugar, and place sugar-side up on baking sheet, evenly-spaced apart. Leave a couple of inches between cookies since they’ll spread while baking.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets midway during baking, until deep-golden brown. The cookies will puff up a bit while baking, then settle down when they’re done. Bake on the lower end of the range for softer cookies, and more for snappier ones, depending on your oven.

Let the cookies cool two minutes, then remove them with a spatula and transfer them to a cooling rack.

Storage: The dough can be refrigerated for up to five days, or frozen for up to three months. Once baked, the cookies can be kept in an air-tight container for a couple of days but like anything made with butter, of course they’re best the day they’re baked.

Merry Christmas!