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Cowboy cookies freshly baked and a cold glass of milk, there is nothing like it.
Memories in the Making
I remember growing up and playing in the backyard with my siblings. We had a large lot, a half-acre, to be exact. Our yard was the best place to play. There was a big garden in the back with grape vines, which provided an excellent shaded area to hide while playing. But, one of our favorite things was the giant tree that had a swing.
Sometimes, we would camp out in our backyard in a tent and roast marsh mellows for s’mores. We would pick fresh berries and grapes, and even cherries from our cherry tree. The neighbors were all our friends, and the days stretched into night and eventually a game of kick the can. Ahhh, the memories of my youth!
The best thing though, was when mom would call us all in for freshly baked Cowboy Cookies. We would stop what we were doing and run inside for the delicious treat. She always served them with a cold glass of milk and a lot of love in her heart.
Cowboy Cookies Rekindle My Memories
Sadly, mom has been gone for several years and the neighbors have all moved on. But, whenever I want to recapture that time, I will bake up a fresh batch of Cowboy Cookies and serve them to my kids and grand kids. It always makes me smile remembering and reliving those special memories of my youth and my mom.
Where to Begin
The first thing I do is gather all my ingredients together. I measure out the dry ingredients and put them in a bowl. Then, I start mixing my wet ingredients in a separate larger bowl. Once the wet ingredients are mixed well, I slowly add the dry ingredients.
The mixture will be pretty thick and a little hard to stir. Therefore, when I add the chocolate chips, I stir them in with a wooden spoon. I use a small cookie scoop to keep the cookies evenly sized, and spray the scoop with Pam before using. This helps the dough to come out easily. Each sheet holds a dozen cookies.
The Chips Make the Difference
Most times, I use ¾ bag of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips with this recipe. If I want them to be super chocolaty, I use a full bag. Sometimes, I make a double batch with one bag of chocolate chips. It just depends on how many cookies you want to make and how chocolaty you want them to be. Luckily, when I make a double batch, I have no problem sending the leftover cookies home with the kids.
Tips for Deliciousness
There are a few tips I can share about making these cookies so delicious. First, I use half butter and half shortening. This is because using all butter makes the cookies flat and using all shortening makes them thick. So, by using half and half, they have a nicer consistency and are not too flat and not too thick.
Next, and this is totally optional, but I take the cookies out of the oven about a minute early and drop the pan onto the top of the stove. Slamming the pan on the stove makes the cookies flatter and taking them out early makes them chewy and crunchy. This combined with the oats and the mini chocolate chips is my favorite thing about these cookies.
I’m not sure where the recipe originated, but my simple changes have made these cookies a family favorite through the years.
Enjoy!
Sherri
Cowboy Cookies
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 3/4 cups Quick Cooking Oats
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Crisco Shortening
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter at room temperature
- 1 cup Brown Sugar firmly packed
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
Chocolate Chips
- 1 bag Mini Chocolate Chips semi sweet
Instructions
- Heat Oven to 350 degrees
- Mix dry ingredients and set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mix well.
- Stir in chocolate chips using a wooden spoon. The mixture is too thick to use the mixer.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes – if you like them chewy, bake for less time – check them at 7 minutes. When the cookies are done, bang the cookie sheet on the counter to flatten them.
