Tempting Tuesday : Banana-Walnut Chocolate-Chunk Cookies

Welcome to the first ever edition of Tempting Tuesday...on a Wednesday! This week has been just nuts for me, what with the storms over the weekend, Mom's birthday, etc., etc., etc. However, the show must go on, and I can't skip my favorite feature of the week!

(PS: What you y'all think about my new Tempting Tuesday graphic? I love that little pie lady.)

This week's Temptation is in my favorite category: desserts! I LOVE to bake! Absolutely one of my favorite things to do! I found this next one in a cookbook my Grandma gave me at Christmas and just fell in love. They were perfect right out of the book, so I haven't made any changes, so I feel like I need to give credit to Mrs. Martha Stewart for these. Way to go, Martha!

With that, I give you:

Banana-Walnut Chocolate-Chunk Cookies
(makes approx. 3 dozen medium-size cookies)

Ingredients

• 1 c. : all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. : whole-wheat flour
• 1 t. : coarse salt
• 1/2 t. : baking soda
• 3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) : unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 c. : granulated sugar
• 1/2 c. : packed light-brown sugar
• 1 : large egg
• 1 1/2 t. : pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 c. : mashed ripe banana (about 1 large)
• 1 c. : old-fashioned rolled oats
• 8 oz. : semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped into 1/4-inch chunks
• 1/2 c. : coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Whisk together flours, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy.
4. Reduce speed to low. Add egg and vanilla; mix until combined.
5. Mix in banana.
6. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined.
7. Stir in oats, chocolate chunks, and walnuts.
8. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart.
9. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and just set, 12 to 13 minutes.
10. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes.
11. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely.
12. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers up to 2 days

Helpful Hints

• Don't be afraid of the two different kinds of flour in these cookies. The 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour makes them nice and chewy, sort of halfway between a cookie and banana bread.
• I've tried these with regular table salt as well as coarse salt. Be brave and use the coarse salt. They taste better for some reason...plus, you look like you know what you're doing when you go through the line at the grocery store with coarse salt in your cart.
• Be SURE to use unsalted butter. If you use the salted butter and the salt the recipe calls for you run the risk of getting a too-salty cookie. No bueno.
• One of the biggest secrets to a good cookie is using good vanilla. Spring for the "pure vanilla" rather than vanilla extract. Even better if you can get Mexican Vanilla or "Double-Strength" vanilla. The flavor is more concentrated...not as "chemical-y."
• The banana is a deal breaker in this recipe. I've made them in a rush and used a banana that was "grocery store ripe" and they just weren't as good. Much like banana bread, the longer you can let the banana ripen, the better they are. Trust me, it's worth the wait to stick the banana in a brown paper sack and wait until it's nice and black and smooshy. The blacker the better.
• The chocolate is another secret in this recipe. I've hurried and bought pre-chunked semi-sweet chocolate. Ew. I've also taken the extra time (and money) to buy Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Bars and chop it up myself. THAT. IS. AMAZING! Spring for the good stuff. Just hide it from the hubby/Dad/brother/roommate until you've got what you need for the cookies. It disappears fast!
• If there's one thing I can't stress enough about these it's that you need to TOAST THE WALNUTS! I know, I know, sounds like a lot of extra work. Just trust me and toast them. The flavor changes, the texture changes, the kitchen smells good, you look like a culinary expert, it's a win-win-win-win situation. If you need a refresher course on toasting nuts try here.
• These cookies work well if you make them big. They also work well smaller. If you opt for a smaller cookie, shorten the baking time by 2 or 3 minutes just to be safe. Then you can add a minute here and there until you get them just right.
• Another secret of a great cookie is to slightly underbake them. The edges should be set up to where you're able to lift them off the sheet with your thumb, but the center should be a little underdone. You leave these on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes, so they'll keep baking. Do yourself and your guests a favor and don't overbake these. No one likes a dry cookie.
• Don't worry about how to store the leftovers. There won't be leftovers. These things are UH-MAZE-ING!

If you make these, email me and I'll give you my mailing address because I'll want to sample them! They are my favorites!

Enjoy!