Christmas Banana Drops, 1957

Christmas Banana Drops from A Feast of Yuletide Cookies, 1957

Christmas Banana Drops

2½ cups sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup mashed ripe banana

Confectioners' Frosting (see below)

Red and green sugar

Red cinnamon candies

Gum drops, candy fruit wedges and dragées

Set oven for hot, 400° F.

Sift together first 3 ingredients.

Cream butter. Slowly beat in sugar. Add eggs, one at a time,

beating until well mixed. Stir in vanilla. Stir in flour mixture

alternately with banana, a little at a time; mix until smooth.

Drop by teaspoonfuls about 1½ inches apart onto an ungreased

cooky sheet. Bake 8 minutes, or until light brown. Remove from

sheet at once; cool on a wire rack.

Decorate with frosting, sugar, candies and dragées. Makes 4 dozen.

Confectioner's Frosting

Measure 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar. Stir in just enough water, about 1 tablespoon to make frosting easy to force through a decorating tube. Tint, if desired with a few drops of food coloring; blend well.