Monday, July 28, 2014

Chunky Monkey Cookies

Chunky Monkey Cookies 2

I've spent the last month snooping around inside the blog Baking and Creating with Avril, that being my assigned blog for Secret Recipe Club this month.  As the title of her blog might suggest, Avril likes to bake, so there was no shortage of sweet treats here to tempt my taste buds, along with a healthy serving of family friendly savoury dishes as well.  In the end, since I still had some chocolate and (now very ripe) Fair Trade bananas on hand from this hamper I told you about a couple of weeks ago, it was Avril's Chunky Monkey Oatmeal Cookies that won me over.

There are a few things I learned from making these cookies, most of which in fact has nothing to do with cookies.  Firstly, I really should not get out of bed before 10.00 am on a Sunday morning.  Secondly, if I must be so foolish as to rise before midday, I should not operate heavy and potentially dangerous machinery before I've at least had breakfast!!

Long story cut short ... we were headed out for lunch today, so I decided to get up earlier than usual and make these cookies before going out;  I also decided, somewhat foolishly, to skip breakfast.  In the interests of haste, because I am not one of those women who can get dressed and ready and out the door in half an hour flat, I decided to shortcut things a little and use the food processor to cream the butter and sugar for the cookies.  "Nek minnit" as we say in New Zealand, two inch gash across the palm of my hand and me hollering for the medic as if I was a contestant on Masterchef.

Anyway, hoping that I haven't completely skeeved you out by now, back to the cookies.

Chunky Monkey Cookies 1

I made very few changes to Avril's recipe, which she in turn adapted from a Martha Stewart Recipe.  When I think Chunky Monkey, I think bananas, chocolate, and peanut butter, so I swapped out pecans for some roasted, unsalted peanuts.  I also cut the oats back a bit - by the time I had mixed the dough together it was feeling as though the full measure of one cup of oats would make it too stiff, so I cut it back to about one-third.  There's still enough oats in here, in my opinion, to kid yourself that this is health food, or excuse yourself for having them from breakfast!

The cookies smelled wonderful as they baked, and they certainly didn't disappoint.  We couldn't wait for them to cool completely, and enjoyed a couple of warm ones for a mid-morning treat before heading out to lunch.  These were everything a good cookie should be - crispy on the outside, slightly chewy on the inside, and loaded with goodies.

Chunky Monkey Cookies 3

Chunky Monkey Cookies Recipe
Adapted only slightly from recipe from
Baking & Creating with Avril
Made 19 large cookies
Click here for a printable copy of this recipe

170g (6 oz) butter
1/2 cup Fair Trade organic cane sugar
1/2 cup soft brown sugar
1x free range egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1x medium-sized, All-Good Fair Trade ripe banana, mashed
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup wholemeal flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
250g (9 oz) semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
(I used Whittaker's Fair Trade Creamy Milk Chocolate)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C (375 degrees F).

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar, until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg, then add the vanilla and mashed banana.  Mix well.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt, then add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, and mix until only just combined.

Add the chocolate, oats and peanuts, and mix to combine.

Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper, and place spoonfuls of cookie dough on the tray, spacing them 5cm (2 inches) apart.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12-13 minutes until golden.  Cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Hope you enjoy these cookies as much as I did, and visit the links below to check out all the other great dishes my Secret Recipe Club friends made.

Secret Recipe Club

This post will also be shared at Foodie Fridays hosted by Designs by Gollam, and at Weekend Cooking hosted by Beth Fish Reads.


53 comments:

  1. Oatmeal cookies are one of my all time faves, I love the banana/peanut/chocolate twist. Perfect SRC pick and hope that hand is healing (another cookie should help ;D)

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    1. I love an oatmeal cookie too - it enables me to convince myself I'm eating something healthy :-) Cookies definitely took my mind off a "bung" hand.

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  2. Oatmeal, banana and chocolate...these sound and look perfect breakfast cookies.

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    1. Thanks, Angie. They're a great way to start the day - the perfect follow up to a bowl of yoghurt and fruit. In fact now that I think of it, I could actually crumble one of these over the top of my yoghurt and fruit :-)

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  3. Hooray! I'm delighted you had my blog for SRC this past month! - I had yours as my assignment!!! I loved every minute "visiting" with you! :-)
    Happy SRC Reveal Day!
    ~avril :-)

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    1. Thanks so much, Avril - I totally loved spending time at your blog too. I'll be catching up on some of your other recipes I want to try too :-)

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  4. Oh, my! I confess to getting weak in the knees reading about your accident... those blades are mean and dangerous... hope you are healing quickly

    that is giving your blood to the assignment. Literally! ;-)

    great cookies....

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    1. Thanks, Sally. I certainly have a new found respect for that food processor blade I can tell you :-)

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  5. Sorry about your war wounds while making these cookies, but they look worth the pain ;)
    Renee - Kudos Kitchen

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    1. Thanks, Renee all in the service of food blogging - and yes these cookies were definitely worth a bit of suffering :-)

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  6. I just happen to have some over ripe bananas I need to use up. Thanks!!

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    1. Oh quick, Wendy, go bake cookies - it's a great way to use up some of those bananas that no one will eat.

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  7. I hope you are healing well...those food processor blades are evil! The cookies sound fantastic, though! Great pick this month :)

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  8. I saw these immediately and lusted after them when I opened up my SRC post this morning Sue! WHAT fabulous and very naughty but nice bikkies! LOVE them! Karen

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    1. Thanks so much, Karen. Naughty by nice is definitely a good way to describe these, and with oats, bananas and nuts in there, there's just enough good stuff to convince myself they're not too naughty.

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  9. Hi Sue, what a great cookie recipe. The name does conjure up bananas, chocolate and nuts after the ice cream I suppose. love the little changes you made. I would have no problem enjoying these for breakfast.

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    1. Thanks, Cheri. Yes I think it's exactly thoughts of Chunky Monkey ice cream that has me thinking that way, and now you've got me thinking how good these cookies would be turned into ice cream sandwiches.

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  10. Mmmm I can practically smell these baking just reading about them! They sound delicious... love all the flavors together, especially the banana!!

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    1. Thanks, Jess - the smell of cookies baking is pretty darn irresistible, isn't it?! Actually, the banana flavour is not particularly pronounced in these cookies, but it does make them a much "softer" cookie than normal.

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  11. These sound delicious! The banana makes me think I can justify at least two of 'em

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    1. Banana plus oats, makes eating two perfectly justifiable. And in fact, these are not very sweet, so eating two is pretty easy to do :-)

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  12. I hope your hand got better fast!!! Your cookies look like the perfect comfort food to make you feel better!

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    1. Thanks, Karen. Yes, on the mend, and cookies make everything better, don't they :-)

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  13. My favorite cookie of all time is the oatmeal. I love chocolate chip but the oatmeal always gets my vote. You did a wonderful job of making me hungry acros the International dateline!

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    1. Seems like oatmeal is a clear favourite with many, Tina. Me - I would find it hard to choose between chocolate chip and oatmeal - but if I can have them both together then it's a bit of a no-brainer for me :-)

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  14. See I can't stay in bed until 10...8 is a sleep in for me! Delicious cookies :)

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    1. I have absolutely no trouble whatsoever staying in bed all morning, and come the weekend, I feel cheated if I don't get to do that.

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  15. These cookies look so good! what's not to love about bananas, oats and chocolate? Great SRC post

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    1. You're so right, Stephy - what's not to love?! Thanks so much for visiting.

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  16. I haven't made cookies in so long! I have such a craving now!

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    1. Only one thing to do about that, Nicole :-) After all, a cookie craving absolutely must be satisfied.

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  17. These look yummy. You made a good choice.

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  18. Such a wonderful combination for cookies! Great pick this month!

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    1. Thanks, Tara - it is a great combination, and funnily enough I think the element that really shines for me in these cookies is the peanuts.

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  19. So many great things all in one cookie!

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    1. Thanks, Erin, and thanks so much for visiting. With a name like Spiffy Cookie for your blog, cookies must be very dear to your heart :-)

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  20. The first thing I like about these cookies is the name! It immediately makes me want to grab one (or 10) through my screen!
    I would definitely 'excuse' myself for having these for breakfast (only 1/2 a cup of sugar in the whole lot? Definitely an acceptable breakfast food!)

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    1. Thanks, Helen. I love the name too - it is exactly what drew me to make these cookies in the first place. I can honestly say that I have unashamedly been enjoying them for breakfast all week.

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  21. Yum! Those cookies look delicious! My favourite kind of cookies are ones filled with lots of stuff - just like these ones!

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    1. Thanks, Bean - these are definitely chock-full of goodies - not sure if it would be possible to cram anything more into these babies.

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  22. Thanks everyone for stopping by - I really appreciate your visits. I wish I could sit down and share a cuppa and one of these cookies with every one of you - which is what I would do in the real world if you dropped in xo

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  23. Yum, just like I like a cookie to be - crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside.
    Sam

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  24. Yum these look good and I love the name! I love the idea of bananas in cookies. Hope your hand isn't too damaged! I always do things like that when I'm in a hurry. Burnt my hand not to long ago using a tea towel instead of oven mits to get the tray out. Duh.

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  25. These look SOOO GOOD!! Great pick this month - I am definitely saving these to give a try with my kiddo. Yumm!!

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  26. I love all kinds of oatmeal cookies, and especially when they have chocolate involved. I need to try these - I love that they have banana in them too!!

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  27. Very delicious version of a great cookie. Glad you choice it for this month's SRC.

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  28. Those cookies look wonderful!! I'm a huge pecan fan, so I think I stick with them but I like the idea of cutting back a bit on the oats. What a fun meme too!!

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  29. They look delicious-I recently made a cherry almond loaf that had bananas in it-very moist.

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  30. Chunky Monkey gets my attention every time - love that flavor combination! I'll be sure to give them a try, especially because they're healthy ;-)

    Hope your hand heals soon.

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