Milk Jar Cookies: Banana Split Cookies
Milk Jar Cookies is located in Los Angeles, California. It opened in 2013 and has been a go-to spot for cookie lovers ever since. Courtney Cowan is the owner and chief cookie baker behind Milk Jar Cookies. A former gymnast whose career fell short because of back injuries, decided to pursue her dream of owning a bakeshop while watching the Fierce Five win Olympic gold. Now instead of sticking landings, Cowan is creating gourmet cookies that taste great baked from home or from her bakery.
Milk Jar Cookies’ Banana Split Cookies are perfect for anyone who loves fruit-infused cookies. The recipe calls for chopped walnut pieces but we substituted that with dried banana pieces and it was fantastic. We know that nuts can elevate the flavor of your cookies, but we don’t love nuts in our baked goods so an alternative was necessary.
You can find this recipe in the book Milk Jar Cookies Bakebook by Courtney Cowan. We love this book for all things cheat days.
Recipe
Ingredients
10 fresh strawberries, quartered
3/4 cup chopped walnut pieces (we used chopped dried bananas)
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
11 tablespoons (or 2/3 cup) vegetable shortening, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 extra-large eggs, cold
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons pure banana extract
2/3 cup (5 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup (5 ounces) butterscotch chips
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Wash the strawberries and dry thoroughly with a paper towel. Quarter each strawberry and place on a plate or tray lined with a paper towel to absorb excess juice. Set aside.
3. Using a knife, finely chop the walnuts into pieces. I have found that chopping them into smaller pieces releases their delicious oil and also guarantees that you get walnut bits in every bite. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
5. In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, shortening, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and banana extract and beat on medium-low speed until mixed with just small chunks of butter remaining, approximately 30 seconds. Every time you mix ingredients, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to be sure all ingredients are included in the mix — every bit matters! Add half of the dry ingredient mixture and mix on low speed until just incorporated and no flour is visible, about 30 seconds. Add half of the remaining dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the flour is incorporated and all the butter chunks are gone, approximately 20 seconds. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is not sticky to the touch, about 20 seconds. Be careful not to overmix — that’s how you get flat cookies. Stir in the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and walnuts.
6. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough 1/3 cup at a time and place a strawberry slice in the middle of each scoop, making sure the berry is fully encased in dough. Firmly roll into round balls approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter. While the dough ball is still in your hands, top each cookie with a strawberry slice, gently pushing it in to keep it in position while they bake. Place 6 cookies on each prepared baking sheet, spacing them out well. Bake on the middle and lower racks of the oven until the tops are light golden brown and you notice hairline cracks forming on the sides, 12 to 14 minutes, spinning each pan 180 degrees and swapping their positions halfway through.
7. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then use a wide spatula to transfer them to a wire rack or parchment paper on the counter to cool completely. Let the baking sheets cool before repeating with the remaining cookies.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or freeze for up to a month.
