Cookie Theory

In theory, these cookies should be great, but they're...so strange. They look delicious, but again, they're...disconcerting. They don't firm up, they don't even really bake, they're just...alien.

COOKIE SCIENCE

I'm not even sure if I have an idea how to improve them -- so let's see what we figure out.

These came from Skinny Mom, and the change I made was minor.

• 3 whole bananas
• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
• ¼ cup dark chocolate chips
• ⅓ cup apple sauce
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

The first thing you notice is the lack of butter, eggs, and flour. I'm not sure if these are even technically "cookies." But that was one reason I wanted to try them. They're different! They're vaguely healthy!

The keyword there is different, though.

I added some allspice, but otherwise left the recipe unchanged. I think it would be easy to add any kind of dried fruit to this if you wanted. Currants, raisins, cherries.

Preheat your oven to 350. Mash your bananas, then add the rest of the ingredients. Once blended, let sit for 10-15 minutes; it will firm up, but it'll still be...odd.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Simple, right?

Hot out of the oven is how I found them most tolerable; I kept thinking how nice it would be to mash four of them into a bowl with milk, but then you've got oatmeal and not...cookies.

Once cooled, they have a tacky texture, and this morning, they're nothing I'd actually put in my mouth. I'm surprised the banana aspect of them hasn't browned.

I kept wondering if this "dough" could be pressed flat and baked like you might a crust, but there's no butter to puff and bubble and really tenderize the oats. I kept wondering if a longer bake time might crisp the oats up.

COOKIE SCIENCE. Sometimes, you don't know what you end up with.