It’s a well-known fact that Elvis adored his peanut butter and banana sandwiches, but I bet you never had a cookie “Yanked” from his sandwich, have you? The smoothness of the peanut butter with the guilt-free crunch of banana chips baked together are truly a treat ”“ especially as an after-school snack. But, I’ll warn you, you may be tempted to hide them and wait until the kids go to bed, so you can enjoy them yourself with a tall glass of milk.

Peanut Butter-Banana Crunch Cookies

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup crushed, dried banana slices

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars in a large bowl until well blended. Add the eggs, baking soda and vanilla, beating until light and fluffy. Blend in the flour and peanut butter until the dough is stiff but smooth. Stir in the crushed banana chips.

Drop dough by the tablespoon onto an ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheet, flattening slightly and leaving about 2 inches between each mound.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until just barely done. Remove to cool for a few minutes before transferring to wire rack to finish cooling. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

— Chef Jim Bailey is The Yankee Chef and an authority on New England food and its history. He is a respected food columnist from Maine and is married with four children. You can email questions or comments to theyankeechef@aol.com and visit theyankeechef.blogspot.com.