The Banana's Baking Adventure

Meet The Banana. She is Pretend Daughter #1’s daughter. So, that must make her my Pretend Granddaughter #1, right? Maybe that is too much math for my brain on a Sunday morning. Pretend Daughter #1 and I go way back. She arrived in my beginning French class somewhere around 1991 or 1992 (more math). She was new to my school, driving all the way to Durham from Henderson. We bonded pretty quickly. In high school, she played softball on the Ex-Ex’s team and she stayed with us when her parents and brother went on vacations without her (he attended a different school so their vacation dates were different sometimes). She babysat for Son #1 and Son #2. She spent her high school and college summers babysitting for the BFF’s three sons so we spent a lot of time together at the pool and getting the gang together to play. She continued to study French at Vanderbilt University. She studied in France. She met her husband in Indiana although they are both from North Carolina and were most likely at some of the same events more than once. It was a beautiful wedding. She is a French teacher and dean of students in a great independent school. Mommy of two. I am a very proud Pretend Mother. It’s a rare and wonderful friendship we have.

Pretend Daughter knew I would be very distressed to learn that The Banana is allergic to eggs and has never had a homemade, warm, fresh-from-the-oven cookie. Heaven help us all. This little angel is how old?? (She was born on the birthday of my college BFF– what a wonderful coincidence!).  Google to the rescue. I experimented with a couple of chocolate chip cookie recipes. One recipe led to another and a reviewer swearing that it was the best chocolate chip cookie she had ever made. I also experimented with a sugar cookie recipe, but it was god-awful. The dough wasn’t horrible, but the cookie was a major flop. I didn’t even taste more than a crumb when they came out of the oven. A waste of good butter and sugar not worth repeating. In the trash.

The first chocolate chip cookie passed the test. The Ex-Ex declared it okay. He has had numerous variations on chocolate chip cookies, too many to count. His mama makes good ones as well. Spoiled cookie consumer. I took a plate of these to school to test on 6th, 7th and 8th graders. They passed. They were good, but not quite what I was hoping for.

Recipe #2 produced a more cake-like cookie. I baked them on the night of a full moon, in case you care about stuff like that.

That, of course, has nothing to do with baking cookies. I just love full moons.

The Banana and Pretend Daughter #1 made cookies yesterday. And sent photos as evidence.

Getting ready…

And off we go…

Taste test… Did Pooh get to taste, Banana?

Ready for the oven…

Finished product…

Poor Brother Bear. No cookies for him yet.

(He is the Most Adorable Granddaughter in the World’s future husband. Shhh. Don’t tell them. We will let them think that it was all their idea.)

I not only got photos of the big event, I also got a video thank you. Cuteness personified.

Pretend Daughter also found a gift for me on Amazon (where you can find absolutely anything). Once upon a time, a dear French friend of mine came to visit with her students. As a thank you gift, she brought me a bottle of a French perfume that had just made its debut. I wore this perfume for years. It is the smell that PD #1 associates with me. I gave it up about 10 years ago. I couldn’t find it any more, my life took a different turn, I found a new perfume. Now, thanks to a cookie-baking caper, Amazon and PD #1, it is back in my life and it smells exactly the same.

The sense of smell is very powerful and should not be underestimated. A certain smell can instantly transport us back to another place and time. Whether its perfume or cookies baking in the oven on a chilly day. The stuff of memories.

Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie #1

Holly Hauck- KeepingLifeSane

24 cookies

• ½ cup butter (1 stick)
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 1½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup chocolate chips (or more)

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Beat the butter with both sugar for 1 to 2 minutes, until creamy with hand or stand mixer.
3. Add in flour and baking soda. Mix.
4. Add water, oil, and vanilla and mix. (My dough was still a bit too dry so I added 1/4 cup of applesauce.)
5. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spoon.  (I chilled the dough for about an hour before baking.)
6. Drop by spoonful onto the baking sheet. I usually do about 1-2 tablespoons and put 12-16 on the cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie #2

from SpiceUpTheCurry

makes 12-16 cookies

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons All purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• a pinch salt (skip it if using salted butter)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (my addition)
• 1 stick or ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• ¼ cup white granulated sugar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk (or half and half)
• ½ cup chocolate chips
  Preheat the oven to 350˚ F or 180˚ C for at least 10 minutes.
  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

1. Whisk dry ingredients (all purpose flour, salt, cinnamon, if using, and baking soda) in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Beat softened butter in another bowl with wire whisk or by electric mixer until it becomes creamy and smooth.
3. Add both sugars (granulated and brown sugar) to butter. Beat until it becomes fluffy (about 2 minutes).
4. Add vanilla extract and milk until incorporated.
5. Add dry ingredients. Beat just until well mixed.
6. Stir in chocolate chips with a spatula or wooden spoon.
7. If dough looks soft and sticky, chill it for about 30 minutes (or longer).
8. Make 1-inch balls from chilled cookie dough. Place on cookie sheet, a few inches apart from each other. Flatten the balls slightly with your fingers.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes in preheated oven or until the edges are golden brown.
10. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes.
11. Remove it to cooling rack to cool completely.

Bon appétit to all bakers out there! Let the Christmas cookie baking begin! If anyone has a recipe for eggless sugar cookies, pass it on, please. Or really any favorite cookie recipe. Share your recipes and your cookies. Make someone smile. It’s really easy.