Lots of retro cookie recipes coming up this week. Starting with a great recipe for using up over-ripe bananas.

Banana Drop Cookies, 1940s recipe
2 1/4 cups sifted flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 to 3 bananas)
Sugar and cinnamon
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat shortening until creamy. Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with bananas, beating after each addition until smooth. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie pans about 1 1/2 inches apart. Sprinkle with sugar or a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Bake in a moderately hot oven (400˚F) about 12 minutes. Remove from pans at once. Makes about 2 1/2 to 3 dozen medium-size cookies.
Via Chronically Vintage

Chewy Brownie Cookies, 1993 recipe
2/3 cup Crisco Shortening
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tbsp. water
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz. pkg.)
1. Heat oven to 375˚F.
2. Combine Crisco, light brown sugar, water and vanilla in large mixing bowl.
3. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat eggs into creamed mixture.
4. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Mix into creamed mixture at low speed until just blended.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Drop rounded measuring tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.
7. Bake one baking sheet at a time at 375˚ for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are set. Cookies will appear soft and moist — do not overbake.
8. Cool on baking sheet 2 minutes. Place sheets of foil on countertop. Remove cookies to foil to cool completely. Yields about 3 dozen cookies.