Best of Baking: A Taste of Pennsylvania's The Artist's Inn & Gallery (Recipe: Sour Cream (with Optional Banana) Chocolate Chip (Muffin) Cookies)

Is it a cookie? Or is it closer to a muffin top? Fortunately, Jan Garrabrandt of The Artist's Inn & Gallery is sharing her hypnotic recipe so we can find out!

Sour Cream Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin Cookies 3606b web-res

Featured on the original home of Inn Cuisine and requested by a reader when the blog moved, this is the second time I've had the good fortune to make this recipe and the second time I achieved the same, desirable results: more than a cookie, yet less than a muffin top...Jan's recipe for Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies is tried and true, turning out cookies that are moist and delicious with each and every attempt.

Loving the flavor of bananas (especially when coupled with chocolate), not to mention the additional moistness they bring to baked goods (which this recipe hardly needs), I added one, ripe banana to Jan's original recipe. The results? YUM! But never fear, if you're not a fan of bananas (and I realize not everyone is), just try Jan's recipe without my additional tweak. Then you be the judge---and let me know if you think this cookie is more like a cookie, or more like a muffin top. As for me, I'll lovingly call these gems my sweet, little muffie-cookies :)

Enjoy!

Sour Cream (with or without Optional Banana) Chocolate Chip (Muffin) Cookies

A "Best of" Inn Cuisine, recipe courtesy The Artist's Inn & Gallery

Yield: approximately 3 & 1/2 dozen cookies when dropped by the tablespoonful

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

½ cup sour cream

1 cup chopped toasted pecans (optional)

12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, cut into chunks (note* substituted 12 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips)

(optional - 1 very ripe banana, peeled and mashed)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugars, and vanilla extract until creamy. Add eggs and beat until combined. Add sour cream and mix until blended. Stir in pecans (if using), banana (optional), and chocolate chunks or chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 12 – 15 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. (Note - In my experience, these cookies bake closer to 12 minutes than 15.)

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