Cowboy Cookies

Cook's Notes: Laura Ashwood's newest book "Christmas Wishes and Cowboy Kisses", a collection of stories with 22 other authors was my inspiration for today's posting.  

Book Synopsis: Ring in the holiday season with 23 heartwarming sweet contemporary romances from USA Today and Top 100 Kindle Unlimited All-Star bestselling authors!
Discover second-chance romance, love at first sight, small-town Christmas cheer, swoony single dads, enemies to lovers, snowed-in with the cowboy, and many more stories featuring the cowboy next door. Fall in love with the hunky heroes of this limited-edition Christmas cowboy romance collection available only until January 31 in ebooks and Kindle Unlimited. After that most authors will be offering their stories as individual novellas. Laura Ashwood's story in the collection "Christmas Wishes and Cowboy Kisses" is titled "Blame it on Mistletoe." This story title will ultimately be her first book in a new series set in the fictional town of Mistletoe, Minnesota.

The ordering link for this collection of stories https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Wishes-Cowboy-Kisses-Contemporary-ebook/dp/B09YMWXVXN

All About the Author Laura Ashwood 

Love with a sprinkle of faith. USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Laura Ashwood writes inspirational and sweet contemporary, historical western, and women's fiction. She makes her home in rural Minnesota with her husband and two very spoiled chihuahuas. You can learn more about Laura and her books at www.lauraashwood.com. She has been a Northwoods Art and Book Festival participant for several years.

A Pantry Special: Cowboy Cookies

It's titled that because almost all the ingredients were ones I had on hand with the exception of eggs.  And my, oh my,  eggs were $6.99 for one dozen !!!! at Safeway 

Cowboy cookies are also called Ranger Cookies, Kitchen Sink Cookies, and Everything Cookies. When you include oats, chocolate chips, pecans, cornflakes, M&M's, and coconut, you are certainly not lacking in flavor or texture with each and every bite. In fact, their size and heft make them perfect for satisfying cowboy-sized cravings! Fiber and nutrition are "partners" in these crunchy cookies.

My assumption is that the recipe for cowboy cookies was probably originally found on a package of oatmeal or brown sugar. I couldn’t find proof of this, but a little digging did reveal that the recipe has probably been around for at least 60 years as I read a document written in the early 1980s that said one woman's recipe had been in her family for over 40 years. And yes, it was the same one we all use today.

This recipe below comes from a cookbook collection straight from the Lone Star state Texas: "Lone Star Eats" by Terry Thompson, editor. The recipe was supplied by New Braunfels, Texas Smokehouse Restaurant.

First Lady Laura Bush may have helped with this cookie's popularity when her Cowboy Cookie recipe won over Tipper Gore's Ginger Snap recipe in the "Family Circle's Magazine" Cookie Bake-off during the 2000 presidential campaign.

Cowboy Cookies

This recipe makes 24 large cookies.
Ingredients:

• 1 cup quick oatmeal
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts 
• 3/4 cup toasted coconut
• 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups crushed cornflakes
• Optional 1/2 cup mini M &M's

Directions:

• In a large bowl, mix oatmeal, chocolate chips, pecans, and coconut. Set aside.
• With a mixer cream butter and sugars.
• Add in eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
• Next add vanilla, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the creamed mixture. Mix well.
• Add creamed mixture to the oatmeal mixture, and mix well.
• Add crushed cornflakes and stir well. If adding in M & M's fold-in at this step.
• Chill cookie dough for one hour in the refrigerator.
• Flour hands and roll dough into balls about 1/4 cup per cookie on a parchment-lined baking sheet. 
• Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

I saved one just for you.