Banana, peanut butter and chocolate cookies

This is my last post for 2011 and I think it's fitting that it contains most of my favourite ingredients - banana, peanut butter and chocolate!  I don't think I have to tell you how much I love baking with bananas judging by the number of banana posts on my blog. This is the second time I've tried it in a cookie and it worked beautifully. I saw this recipe on one of my favourite blogs Cupcake Crazy Gem and bookmarked it immediately.  I went out to buy a banana to ripen for this cookie and the 1 week wait was well worth it.  You get a soft, chewy cookie with the crunch from the peanut butter, the chocolatey goodness when you bite into a piece of chocolate all wrapped up in the aroma and taste of bananas.  Great excuse to eat cookies for breakfast :)

2011 has been a great year for my blog. I've made many new blogging friends and joined in many fun blogging events. I've tried lots of new recipes including making up a few of my own. I really look forward to 2012 with even more baking and blogging. I don't normally make resolutions but I'll make some 'baking/blogging' ones. Do you make resolutions and if so would you like to share them with me?

So for 2012, I want to....
1. Bake something I've never made before - macarons, bread, pie/pastry.
2. Attend a cake decorating course and learn how to make pretty things from fondant icing.
3. Reply to everyone's comments on my blog.
4. Have a new motto from a birthday present I got earlier this year....

And finally.... drum roll please..... I am very excited to announce that I will be co-hosting a new baking challenge with my friend Caroline from Caroline Makes in 2012.  Stay tuned for more details  (probably 2nd week of Jan) and I really hope that as many of you as possible will join in and bake with us.

Thank you for all your support this year. Wishing all of you a very happy, healthy and successful new year. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!! 

 Mixing all the ingredients together

 I ran out of chocolate (gasp!) so used a mixture of milk and dark chocolate

 Delicious! 

100g light brown sugar

100g caster sugar

185g crunchy peanut butter

113g butter

1 over-ripe banana

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg 

220g plain flour

3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

100g roughly chopped milk chocolate chunks 

• Preheat the oven to 180C.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cream the butter and sugars until fluffy.
• Add in the peanut butter and continue mixing. 
• Add in the vanilla, egg, bicarbonate of soda, salt and banana and mix well.
• Next add in the flour and mix until well combined. 
• Finally stir in the chopped chocolate chunks.
• Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop out balls of dough onto the lined baking sheet (Or use a tablespoon)
• Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes until it is golden brown. 
• Allow to cool for a few minutes on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

(You can also chill the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes before baking for a more formed cookie)

I'm entering these delicious cookies to Bookmarked Recipes hosted by Jacqueline from Tinned Tomatoes