Banana Spice Cookies

1/2 cup margarine

2 1/4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

3 bananas, mashed (1 cup)

Frosting

1/3 cup butter or margarine

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

With an electric mixer, beat margarine until soft. Add ¨ the flour and all the sugar, eggs, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, soda and cloves and mix until well combined. Thoroughly beat in remaining flour. Add bananas and blend well.

Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets and bake 8-10 minutes, just until slightly brown.

For the frosting: While cookies bake beat together butter and powdered sugar. Add milk and vanilla and beat until smooth and spreadable. Add a few drops more milk if needed to achieve proper consistency. Spread on cooled cookies.

Makes four dozen.

Nutrition values per cookie: 105 calories, 3 g fat (1 g saturated), 20 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein, 12 mg cholesterol, 44 mg sodium.