On substitutions

Bananas I had, aplenty.
Sugar was there, for sure,
No eggs, no vanilla
No baking powder.
Yet muffins I would make!

For eggs, use mayo;
Vanilla flavored creamer;
Baking mix is self-rising!

2 cups mashed bananas (about 3 - 4 if they're small)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup mayonnaise (trust me)
1/2 cup vanilla flavored coffee creamer
2 cups baking mix

If your bananas aren't ripe enough, put them in the microwave for a couple of minutes then mash away.

Too many bananas to use right away? Peel and freeze. The freezing also brings out more liquid from the bananas, so adjust your recipe accordingly.

Chipotle Lime cookies

Experiments in cooking:

Use extreme caution!

(these are GOOD!)

Cookie
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice - fresh squeezed
1/2 to 1 teaspoon minced chipotle
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Lime Chipotle Icing
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/4 tablespoons Key lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chipotle, ground to a paste (optional)

Butter Cookies: Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl down as needed. Add the egg yolk, then the vanilla extract and 1 1/2 teaspoons Key lime juice. Lastly, blend in the flour.

Transfer the dough to a large piece of plastic wrap and form into a cylinder that is 2 1/4 inches in diameter. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 large baking sheets and set aside.

Cut the cookies into 1/4-inch slices. Place the slices on the baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes. Place the baking sheets onto a cooling rack and cool for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to the cooling rack.

For the key lime icing: Combine the confectioners' sugar, Key lime juice and chipotle paste in a small bowl. Brush the tops of the cookies with the icing as soon as the cookies are transferred off the baking sheets.

Yield: 50