Banana Nut Bars Cookie Recipe

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  1                cup  sugar
  1                cup  mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
     1/3           cup  vegetable oil
  2                     eggs
  1                cup  all-purpose flour
  1           teaspoon  baking powder
     1/2      teaspoon  baking soda
     1/2      teaspoon  ground cinnamon
     1/4      teaspoon  salt
     1/2           cup  chopped nuts
                        Cream Cheese Frosting -- (recipe follows)
                       
                        CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
  1       (3 ounce) package  cream cheese -- softened
     1/3           cup  butter or margarine -- softened
  1           teaspoon  vanilla
  2               cups  powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350º. Grease rectangular pan, 13 × 9 × 2 inches. Mix sugar, bananas, oil and eggs in large bowl with spoon. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir in nuts.

Spread batter in pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. Cut into 6 row by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

Mix cream cheese, butter and vanilla in medium bowl. Gradually beat in powdered sugar with spoon until smooth and spreadable.                  

Black-Eyed Susans

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
     3/4           cup  butter or margarine -- softened
     1/2           cup  sugar
  1           teaspoon  vanilla
  12             drops  yellow food color
  1                     egg
  1       (3 ounce) package  cream cheese -- softened
  2               cups  all-purpose flour
  3              dozen  (about) large semisweet chocolate chips

Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, food color, egg and cream cheese in large
bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in
flour. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm.

Heat oven to 375º. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Make 3 cuts with scissors in top of each ball about three-fourths of the way through to make 6 wedges. Spread wedges apart slightly to form flower petals (cookies will flatten as they bake).

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set and edges begin to brown. Immediately press 1 chocolate chip in center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Cut balls from top into 6 wedges about 3/4 way through dough.