I have the luxury of time now, reflection, opportunity. I’m 24 but I wasted an embarrassing amount of years shoring up the flotsam of who I used to be. I don’t worry so much now. I know I’ve kissed boys I’ve regretted. I know I’ve eaten ice cream the carton and left it on the counter until morning. Laundry piles up, bills change color; but I keep waking up in the morning and find it comforting.
Time shifts. Slows down. There’s a birds nest that’s been shuddering with wakeful chicks since last Sunday. It’s an eyrie built in the rain gutter and there’s a poem in there somewhere. They keep me up at night, I hear their hungry cries. They’ve just woken up and I hear them through my window.
There’s a rise and fall to my emotions. I used to think they were impressionism, small strokes of color and enough space in between to contrast. I have a Rembrandt temper, deep and opaque.
I’m working on this.
I made these cookies for no one but myself. I made them because it’s rained for four days straight and it doesn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon. I made over two dozen and only ate a handful. The rest I took out, still on the pan, and threw them to the birds that peck at the apple tree wood. I threw them, one by one, and brought back an empty tray. I have a lot of time these days; I don’t mind sharing.
Roasted Banana Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 banana, cut lengthwise
- 8 tablespoons butter, divided and softened
- ½ cup brown sugar, divided
- 1 ¾ cup AP flour
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon cinnamo
- Nutella, optional
Directions:
- First, you must roast the banana for this recipe
- Preheat oven to 400*F and prepare a pan with aluminum foil
- Lay banana, peel side down, on pan and cut three small cuts into the banana
- Top each banana half with 1 tablespoon butter and 1/8 cup brown sugar apiece
- Roast for 10-15 minutes until sugar is caramelized and bananas are soft and browned
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before continuing on
- While waiting for banana to cool, do the following: Reduce oven to 350*F; prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper; sift flour and salt together in a mixing bowl
- When bananas are cooled, use a food processor and blend together bananas, remaining 6 TB butter, and remaining sugars. Process until well blended
- Add vanilla and cinnamon to the mixture
- With food processor on, slowly add flour through the feeding tube and continue to blend until a dough just starts to form
- Turn food processor off and turn onto a floured work surface. Dough will be a bit crumbly at first, so work it a bit with your hands and pat into a disc
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes
- When 30 minutes are up, roll back onto floured work surface and cut into desired shapes (make sure the cookies aren’t over a 1/3 inch in thickness)
- Place shapes on your prepared cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are golden
- Allow to cool and you can eat as is, or top with Nutella and a little cinnamon
- Last for up to 3 days in an airtight container
