Best Nana Nillas Recipe

Nana Nillas

There is a reason that home cooks and beloved bakeries alike have been whipping up batches of banana pudding studded with vanilla cookies for decades the simple combination is irresistible.

There is no scientific explanation for why these two humdrum items become otherworldly when layered up in a trifle-like creation, but the results are indisputable so much so that I needed to hack the equation and make a cookie that tastes like banana pudding.

Banana extract brings the thunder to these more-than-meets-the-eye cookies that might just give that ol’ pudding a run for its money.

Ingredients:

226g unsalted butter, softened 2 sticks (16 T)

200g sugar 1 cup

115g light brown sugar ½ cup (packed)

1 large egg

6g banana extract 1½ tsp

2g vanilla extract ½ tsp

0.5g yellow food coloring 10 drops

250g flour 1¾ cups

6g kosher salt 1½ tsp

2g baking powder ½ tsp

1.5g baking soda ¼ tsp

150g Nilla wafers 2 cups

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 350°F. Pan-spray or line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes until well combined.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, banana extract, vanilla, and food coloring, and mix for 2 more minutes.

Add the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and paddle on low speed until just combined, about 20 seconds.

Place the wafers in a freezer bag and seal. Using the palm of your hand, break the wafers into pieces about one-eighth of the original size. Paddle into the dough just until incorporated.

Using a 2¾-ounce cookie scoop (or a ⅓-cup measure), scoop the dough onto the prepared pans 2 to 3 inches apart. Flatten the domed tops with your palm.

Bake at 350°F until golden around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.

Let the cookies cool briefly on the pans, then transfer to a plate or an airtight container for storage.

At room temperature, the cookies will keep fresh for 3 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.