homemade island cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup of sugar

1 egg, room temperature

1 cup of mashed bananas (about 2 1/2 large bananas)

1 tsp of baking soda

2 cups of flour

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup of shredded coconut

chocolate glaze or 1 cup of chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

1. preheat the oven to 350F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. add the egg and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

2. in a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. let sit for 2 minutes. the baking soda will react with the acid in the bananas which in turn will give the cookies their lift and rise.

3. mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture. mix together the flour, salt, and spices and sift into the butter and banana mixture and mix until just combined.

4. fold into the batter the coconut (and chocolate chips if you are using them). Drop in dollops onto a greased cookie sheet. bake for 11-13 minutes or until nicely golden brown. let cool on wire racks. if you are using glaze, then wait until the cookies are cooled before glazing.

makes about 30 cookies.