BANANA CHOCOLATE WALNUT COOKIES

I feel like I haven’t made cookies in a long time. The waiting times kill me. But these really weren’t that bad. Make the dough, refrigerate while you exercise or do some homework; roll the balls, refrigerate again while you shower; bake and paint your nails; done! in ten more minutes, you can be munching away these heavenly cookies that sound healthy because there is half a banana and nuts in them. This recipe comes from the much-awaited book SWEET by Yotam Ottolenghi & Helen Goh. It’s aaaall about sugar. And if you were wondering, how or when is Tamar gonna put tahini into a dessert, now is the moment (just kidding, I’ve already done that plenty). I was just waiting for the right recipe. So wait for it in the coming days.

I was also doing some pondering, after spending the weekend with my mom, about the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which is happening now. It’s about the 40 years Jews spent in the desert, as nomads. Building itinerant houses that came and went, together with the importance of community and hope. I feel like this is particularly significant now, as thousands of houses are disappearing into the wind. A lesson to build our homes around thought, people, and love, and share what we’ve got (especially if there are cookies involved) because all of the rest, who knows how long it’ll stay.

Banana Walnut Chocolate Cookies:

110g butter, room temperature
110g (1/2 cup + 2 tsp) sugar
1 egg
1/2 banana (55g), mashed
125g (1 cup) flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 1/2 Tbsp (20g) cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 (100g) cup dark chocolate chunks
165g walnut halves
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
In a mixer, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. On a separate bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add the egg to the butter mixture and beat until incorporated. Add the banana, and later the dry ingredients. Mix in the chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for two hours. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and chop the nuts. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the batter and roll tight balls. Then roll them in the nuts, tightening with your hands so they stick well. Place them on the baking sheet and refrigerate 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Place icing sugar in a bowl and roll the balls into the sugar, again, making sure it sticks. Place them back on the baking sheet and with your palm, press them down to flatten a bit. Bake for about 10 minutes. They will be very soft. Let them cook for 10 minutes before handling.