Banana Spice Lemon Drops

The name says it all: spiced banana drop cookies with a sharp lemon frosting on top. The combination is what makes these work. Warm, molasses-forward brown sugar and banana in the cookie; bright, tangy citrus in the glaze. Each element would be forgettable alone. Together, they’re genuinely interesting.

Cinnamon and cloves go into the batter, which leans fall and cozy. The lemon frosting is the counterpoint that keeps every bite from tasting heavy. It cuts through the sweetness of both the brown sugar cookie and the powdered sugar base of the glaze.

The dough is a classic drop consistency - soft and slightly sticky, dropped by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the sheet. The cookies bake up into soft, cakey rounds with lightly browned edges in about 10-12 minutes. They must be completely cool before frosting. Any residual warmth melts the butter in the glaze and it runs right off.

Note that the butter is divided: four tablespoons go into the cookie dough, two go into the frosting.

Kitchen Tips

• Cool the cookies fully on a rack before spreading the frosting. Even slightly warm cookies will cause the glaze to slide.
• Drop evenly sized portions so they bake at the same rate. Oversized cookies won’t cook through in the time listed.
• Add lemon juice to the frosting gradually. Two tablespoons is the starting point; add more only if it needs thinning.

Variations

• Add a pinch of ground ginger to the spice blend for more complexity.
• Swap lemon juice for orange juice and add a little orange zest for a banana-citrus twist.