teaspoon salt

cup baby food mashed bananas (I used Gerber)

5.1 ounce package banana cream pudding mix (NOT sugar-

free) (I used Jell-O, 6-serving package.)

3 and cups flour (no sifting pack it down in the cup

when you measure)

1 cup chopped nuts (I used salted peanuts)

2 cups peanut b.u.t.ter chips (one 10-ounce package will do

just fine)

cup white (granulated) sugar for later Melt the b.u.t.ter in large microwave bowl. Stir in the sugars, beaten eggs, baking soda, and salt.

Measure out a half-cup of baby food bananas and add them, along with the package of dry pudding mix. (Make sure your baby food bananas don"t have anything else, like cereal, added to them!) Mix in the flour by one-cup increments. Add the nuts and then the peanut b.u.t.ter chips. Stir until everything is incorporated.

Roll the dough into walnut-sized b.a.l.l.s with your hands. (If it"s too sticky, chill it for 30 minutes or so, and try again.) Put cup white sugar in a small bowl and roll the b.a.l.l.s in it. Place the dough b.a.l.l.s on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard-sized sheet. Press them down with the heel of your hand, or with a metal spatula sprayed with Pam or other nonstick cooking spray.

Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees F., or until they"re lightly golden in color. Let them cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet and then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

These cookies freeze well. Roll them up in foil, and place the rolls in a freezer bag.

Mich.e.l.le asked for this recipe after Lonnie Murphy tasted them at The Cookie Jar. She says she"s going to freeze some so he"ll have them when he visits her, but she"s going to mark the package "Raw Fish Patties" so her roommates won"t get into them.

Yield: Approximately 8 to 10 dozen, depending on cookie size.

*ALMOND FUDGE COOKIES.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

2 cups melted b.u.t.ter (4 sticks, 16 ounces, one pound)

4 one-ounce squares semi-sweet chocolate (I used Baker"s)

2 cups powdered sugar (not sifted)

1 cup white (granulated) sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

4 and cups flour (not sifted pack it down when you

measure it)

cup white sugar in a small bowl (for later)

7 to 8 dozen blanched almonds (one to decorate each cookie)

Melt the b.u.t.ter and chocolate squares in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, or in the microwave. (I melted mine in a quart measuring cup in the microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes.) Once the b.u.t.ter and chocolate are melted, stir them smooth, transfer them to a large mixing bowl, and add the powdered and white sugars. Stir thoroughly and set the mixture aside to cool.

When the mixture is cool enough so it won"t cook the eggs, add the eggs, one at a time, stirring after each addition. (You can use an electric mixer at this point if you like.) Then add in the almond and vanilla extracts, baking soda, and salt. Mix it all up thoroughly.

Add the flour in half-cup increments, mixing after each addition. You don"t have to be precise just divide your flour into roughly 4 parts. (One very important reason for adding flour in increments is so that the whole mountain of flour won"t sit there on top of your bowl and spill out all over the place when you try to stir it in.) Once the dough has been thoroughly mixed, roll one-inch dough b.a.l.l.s with your fingers. (You can also use a 2-teaspoon scooper to form the dough b.a.l.l.s.) Dip the b.a.l.l.s in the bowl of white sugar and roll them around until they"re coated.

Place the dough b.a.l.l.s on a greased cookie sheet (I usually spray mine with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray), 12 dough b.a.l.l.s to a standard-size sheet. Flatten the dough b.a.l.l.s a bit with your impeccably clean palm so that they won"t roll off the cookie sheet on the way to the oven. (Oh, yes. That"s happened to me!) Press one almond into the center of each cookie.

Bake the Almond Fudge Cookies at 325 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. (Mine took 12 minutes.) Cool them on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, and then remove the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Yield: Approximately 7 to 8 dozen mouth-watering cookies.

ALMOND KISSES.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

1 and cups melted b.u.t.ter (3 sticks)

2 cups white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

cup mola.s.ses (2 Tablespoons)

1 and teaspoons baking soda