INGREDIENTS:
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large brown banana (browner = sweeter!)
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (like Hershey's)
• 12 ounce package dark chocolate chips (or semisweet, but dark chocolate is less likely than semisweet to contain milk fats)
METHOD:
Peel and mash the brown banana in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Fold in shortening, sugar, and vanilla. Combine cocoa, baking soda and salt, then add to mixing bowl. Add 2 cups of flour. Blend, then add remaining 1/4 cup until cookie dough is stiff. You may need a little more than 1/4 cup depending upon the size and brownness of your banana. Really brown bananas are gooey-er than slightly brown ones, and so they require a little more flour.
Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon dough onto greased cookie sheet (don't use butter to grease your cookie sheets, it's not vegan!). These cookies should not change shape much during baking.
Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.
