Bananas and Rum!!!

Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!!!!! This recipe came about when I had some overripe bananas, a bottle of rum and a dream... a dream to make some delicious, healthy oatmeal cookies that would remind me of Bananas Foster. There's almost nothing better than that caramelized brown sugar taste drenched in rum... ooohhhh yes... haha!  The experiment was a success and my cookies won the approval of everyone at my work, one woman in particular who is from Jamaica told me they reminded her of home. :) 

The goodness of bananas and oatmeal all rolled into one... with just a splash of rum! Yum yum. ;)

Banana Rum Oatmeal Cookies


Preheat oven to  375*F. Spray cookie sheets with non stick cooking spray and set aside.

Over  medium heat in large saucepan melt the following ingredients:

1 c unsalted butter
1/2 c raw cane sugar (Sucanat or Sugar in the Raw)
1 TBL honey

Stir frequently with a wire whisk while melting. Whisking the mixture while it's boiling keeps the butter and sugar from separating. Please be careful while stirring, caramel mixture will be VERY HOT! Remove from heat, and whisk in:

1 c organic brown sugar

Let hot caramel mixture cool 10 - 15 minutes and whisk in:

1 c mashed overripe banana
1 TBL vanilla
1 egg
1/4 c good quality rum (my pirate boyfriend has taught me Cap'n Morgan's is best ;)

Stir in :

1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 c whole grain spelt flour (or whole wheat flour)

Mix well and stir in:

3 c old fashioned oats (I use Bob's Red Mill brand Thick Cut Oats)
1 c pecan pieces (or whatever nuts you like)
3/4 c raisins

Batter will be thick. Place heaping tablespoon fulls of batter onto lightly oiled baking sheets, one inch apart. Bake for 375*F for 8 - 10 minutes or until lightly browned and cookies are firm but soft. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack or a plate to cool.

Makes approx 4 dozen cookies (more or less depending on how big you make them).

These are great for breakfast on the go too!!!
 
** Baking tip of the day: Honey absorbs and retains moisture, so your homemade baked goods stay fresher longer. Use a light colored honey for less strong of  a honey taste in your baked goods (unless you WANT them to taste like honey). The darker the color of your honey, the stronger the flavor.

More tips on baking with honey.