Explorations in Baking

So one reason I am doing this right now is because I have a huge paper due on Tuesday which I do not want to write. The other reason is that I thought it would be a fun personal project--it will be more fun this summer when I have people to eat everything I bake.

I want to come up with some of my own recipes--or just try out some new ones I've never tried before. I will post the recipes, pictures, and some hopefully raving reviews.

I would really like to get a book that explains the chemistry of baking. Not like a textbook, but something simple so that I can understand how the ingredients interact and what ingredients I need to give the right texture and rise etc. Since I don't have the best understanding of that right now, I just adjusted one of my normal cookie recipes for my first project.

I had an old banana sitting around and I really wanted to bake something, so I thought--"I like chocolate chip banana bread, I like cookies, what about banana chocolate chip cookies?"

Here's the recipe:

Preheat oven to 375 F

Mix together dry ingredients in a separate bowl and set off to the side:

3/4 cup white flour

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I like to use this, it adds a little texture, and makes you feel better about eating cookies)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat together until smooth:

1/2 butter--room temperature

1/3 C white sugar

1/2 C Brown sugar

Add vanilla and egg, beat until smooth:

1tsp vanilla

1 egg

Blend in pre-mashed banana:

1 very ripe mashed banana

Stir in dry ingredients

Stir in chocolate chips

1 C semisweet chocolate chips

Refirgerate dough for a few hours

this step is not absolutely necessary, but if you have the time go ahead and do it. It keeps the cookies from going completely flat in the oven.

Bake at 375F

7 mins for a soft cookie

longer if you like you cookies well done

If you like oatmeal cookies, add 1 1/2 cups of oats

the banana oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough (what a mouthful!)

I also tried adding peanut butter--I will get an exact recipe for you if you want that

p.s. I promise better pictures in the future, I know these ones are terrible!

I split the dough up and tried a few mix-ins. I labeled them for my roommate so she wouldn't try to eat a cookie that she was suspecting to be simply chocolate-chip and get a strange surprise. In the end, I ended up with:

1. Peanut-butter filled banana chocolate chip cookies

2. Peanut butter banana chocolate chip cookies

3. Banana chocolate chip cookies

4. Oatmeal banana chocolate chip cookies.