Aunt Barb's Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are a bit of a family institution. For as long as I remember, no Birthday or Christmas was complete without a batch. My Aunt Barb gave me the recipe and after about 5 years of disasters, I've finally mastered her level of yumminess. I should mention that baking isn't my fourté. I should also mention, a couple of years ago I also discovered that these cookies weren't exclusive to my Aunt Barb - the recipe was also familiar to a few of my friends. Regardless, they will always make my think of my special Aunt and the smiles of many years opening packages to find these soft cookies. I hope you enjoy.

• 1 & 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup shortening (yes, I know it is horrible for you - but you really must use it)
• 1 egg - well beaten
• 1 cup mashed bananas (I find that 3 come to exactly 1 cup. Also, I use a pastry cutter to mash - easiest way that I have found to mash bananas.)
• 1 & 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 package of chocolate bits

Sift together flour, sugar, soda, salt, and spices.

Cut in shortening.

Add egg, bananas, rolled oats, and chocolate bits.

Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 400F, about 15 minutes. (12 minutes in my oven)

Makes about 3 dozen.

Easy Pumpkin, Chocolate Chip, and Ginger Cookies

Last month I volunteered to host a bake sale table at a local garden fête. I'm not as good of baker as I am cook, but have a few trusty recipes that aren't too shabby. I had planned to make my infamous oatmeal, banana, chocolate chips cookies that took me a few years to master. As I work full time (and can be a bit of a procrastinator) I stopped to the get missing ingredients on my way home from work - the night before the fête. When I got home I realized that I had forgotten a few key ingredients, mainly oatmeal and bananas. I didn't feel like going back out again, so had a look around my kitchen to see what I could make. With a box of Pillsbury® Pumpkin Quickbread mix in my freezer, I settled on a variation of a recipe on the side of the box. Replacing chocolate chips for the raisins, my Pumpkin, Chocolate Chip, and Ginger Cookies turned out to be a huge hit.