Name: Bacon Banana Cookies
Yield: Yields 30 cookies
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter; 1 1/4 cups sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 4 bananas, mashed (about 1 1/3 cups); 1/2 pound bacon, cooked crisp, chopped

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Bacon Banana CookiesChia Chong

Ginger, my mother, never liked a bunch of kids in her house. Even as a young girl, I could feel her angst when too many neighborhood kids were around. Her clever solution was to bake a plate of my favorite Bacon Banana Cookies and leave them on the front porch, locking the door behind her. I never minded being sequestered outside with my food loot in the summer because the porch concrete cooled my skin.

The winter—that was a different story. When I bake these cookies now for my son, Anthony, I'm secretly baking them for myself. I wonder if my mom did the same thing? I'll be sure to ask her...as soon as she unlocks the front door.

Cooks' Note

Rock-hard bananas? Ripen them quickly for Bacon Banana Cookies by placing the peeled fruit on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cooking them in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes until they are soft.

Next time you make banana bread, try stirring 4 slices cooked and chopped bacon into the batter.

Recipe notes

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