Going "Bananas" for Spring!

It is finally spring! YAY!!! This is my absolute favorite time of the year. When all of the azaleas start blooming and everything starts greening again, it just makes me happy. To start this season off right, I am dedicating this week to one of my favorite fruits, BANANAS! Ahh now you get the title of todays post. There are so many uses for bananas I can't even stand it. I am going to take this week to show you several different, SIMPLE ways you can use bananas. 

Bananas are an excellent source for potassium which is super important for your health! Potassium actually helps tell the heart to pump blood throughout your body. It also helps you to build proteins and muscles. So why not add bananas in where you least expect them? Today I am going to start out with a little something sweet. These are my banana oat cookies that only have 4 ingredients and take about 20 minutes from start to finish. Yup 4! None of which are flour, egg, milk, or sugar. I know what you're thinking, yeah right. These aren't going to be good without sugar. Well, bananas have enough naturally sugar in them that I promise you will love them.

I will forewarn you, these cookies aren't the consistency of a flour cookie. They are a little more chewy but just as delicious. Let me know what you think!

This recipe makes about 18 cookies but is easily doubled or tripled. Happy Baking!!

Banana Oat Cookies

GF/DF

Ingredients:

3 semi-ripe bananas

1 cup GF oats

1/4 cup GF/DF chocolate chips

1/4 cup dried cherries

What to do:

Preheat your oven to 350°.

Add your oats and bananas into a large bowl. I simple pinch small pieces of bananas off and toss them into the oats.

Using the back of a spatula, press the bananas agains the bowl to smash them a bit.

Stir the oats and bananas together.

Add in your chocolate chips and dried cherries.

Stir to combine.  

Spoon your cookie "dough" onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes. Let cool completely on a drying rack.

Grab a cookie and dig in. 

Thanks Y'all!

-Wise Wife 

Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

Although we were promised we would be in our new house by Thanksgiving, it is now almost Christmas and it doesn't appear we will be in the new house this week. Im so bummed, but at least I will still spend the best time of the year with my Hubs.  Because we were anticipating a move, we didn't decorate around the house. Okay, I did put a few things on the front porch, but I just couldn't stand not having any decorations up. Yesterday after church, the Hubs told me I could decorate. If you know the Hubs, for him to bring up decorating is HUGE. He isn't much for decorating for holidays. (They say opposites attract!) 

Anyway, so as I was trimming the tree, I decided I was wanting something sweet. What's something sweet that I could make and ALWAYS have the ingredients on hand? Sugar cookies! I realized I have yet to share a simple sugar cookie recipe with y'all. As soon as I mentioned cookies, Hubs had a huge smile on his face. Off to the kitchen I went. A delicious sugar cookie was the perfect way to take a break from decorating my tree!

These cookies are so delicious, after eating a cooking, the hubs said, "Wait were those gluten free dairy free?, they were actually good!" Love when he can't tell the difference!

Emily's Cracked Sugar Cookies

gluten free, dairy free

Click Here for Printable Recipe 

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 cup butter substitute

3 egg yolks

2 t almond extract (you could use vanilla)

2 1/2 cup gluten free flour 

3/4 t xanthan gum 

1 t baking soda

1/2 t cream of tartar

1/4 t salt

1/2 cup additional sugar

What to do:

Preheat your oven to 350°

Add your butter and 1 1/4 cup sugar into a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer.

Using a hand mixer, or your stand mixer, mix together until creamy.

Continue to mix, adding one yolk at a time.

Mix in your almond extract.

Add your flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.

Mix until completely combined. Always be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all your ingredients are evenly mixed. 

Pour your additional 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl.

Grab a medium scoop and create a dough ball.

Roll the top of your dough ball in your bowl of sugar so that the top has a nice layer. 

Place your dough balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart. 

Bake for 12-16 minutes or until they start to crack on top. Do not over cook! You want them to stay soft and chewy. 

Remove and let sit for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack and then dig in! 

Thanks Y'all!
-Wise Wife