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Answers: I have overripe bananas and I thought it might be interesting to try peanut butter cookies with bananas. Any other ideas for that combination?

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Banana Cookies with Peanut Butter Filling

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 medium)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling
1 cup Smucker's Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350° F. Beat brown sugar, sugar, and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy; add banana, egg, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl; mix well. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; mix until soft dough forms.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

Beat peanut butter, butter and powdered sugar until well mixed. Spread about one tablespoon filling on bottoms of half of cookies. Gently press bottoms of remaining cookies against filling to form sandwiches.

Tip: Cookies can be frosted. Add one to two tablespoons milk to peanut butter filling, stirring until smooth. Frost tops of cookies.

Makes two to 2-1/2 dozen sandwich cookies.

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BANANA - PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

1 1/4 c. flour, sifted
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. ripe banana, mashed

Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Mix shortening, sugars, and peanut butter until creamy. Add mashed banana and the flour mixture. Blend well. Shape into 2 rolls on a lightly floured board. Wrap in foil and chill several hours. When ready to bake, heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice dough about 1/4 inch thick. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake until golden brown (about 12 minutes).

PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANA COOKIES

2 1/2 c. quick cooking oats, uncooked
1 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. creamy or chunky peanut butter
1 c. (2 sticks) butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. mashed ripe banana (1 large)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat peanut butter and butter until smooth. Beat in sugars until blended. Beat in banana, egg and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture. Drop on cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

hope these help. enjoy.

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