By May 2026. I am 67, and spring in Memphis is arriving with its usual lack of subtlety — everything blooming at once, the dogwoods and azaleas competing for attention, the air warm enough to sit on the porch again.
Walter Jr. and his family came by — the grandchildren growing with the speed of summer corn, each visit revealing new heights and new personalities.
Comfort food: a big pot of greens with smoked turkey neck, simmered until the pot liquor was dark as memory and twice as nourishing. The kitchen smelled like Mama's kitchen, and the smelling was the remembering, and the remembering was the love.
Rosetta said goodnight. I said goodnight. The house settled into the darkness that Orange Mound has known for a hundred years, the particular darkness of a Black neighborhood that has survived everything and still makes beauty in the morning. Tomorrow there will be coffee and smoke and family. There is always coffee and smoke and family. That is enough.
When I woke up the next morning with the coffee already brewing and the sound of grandchildren starting to stir, I wanted something in hand to greet them with — something warm and sweet that didn’t ask too much of me before the sun was fully up. These peanut butter banana cookies are about as close to effortless as baking gets, and they taste like something you made on purpose, like love you planned ahead. I’ve learned that’s the best kind.
Peanut Butter Banana Cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 22 minutes | Servings: 18 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large ripe banana, mashed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix the dough. In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, mashed banana, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla extract and stir until smooth.
- Add dry ingredients. Sprinkle in the baking soda and salt and stir until fully incorporated. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
- Portion the cookies. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Use a fork to gently press each ball flat with a crosshatch pattern.
- Bake. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are just set and the tops look barely dry. Do not overbake — they will firm as they cool.
- Cool and serve. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature alongside coffee.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 130 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Carbs: 13g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 105mg