Cowboy cookies cause stampede

Giddy up!

This batch of cookies will surely send a stampede of your cowgirls and cowboys into the kitchen. I have experimented with many variations on several Cowboy cookie recipes only to saddle up to my own version I invented for my husband when we first met. After he tried my cookies, he admitted he'd been lassoed and tied.

The origin and the original recipe for this popular cookie are unclear. After researching a multitude of my cookbooks, I googled through the blogosphere and found a posting on Jamie’s blog, “Borderland adventures”, where she reports on the origin of her version she makes which dates back to the 1960’s. Different versions seem to stem everywhere from Wyoming to California to Laura Bush and Martha Stewart.

My version comes from my mom in Minnesota. I have subtracted the coconut since my dad despises the white flakes and substituted a heaping cupful of white chocolate chips instead.

I called around town and most of the bakery owners responded to my “do you make cowboy cookies” with a “Hugh?” or “cowboy what?”

So if you don’t feel like making my cowboy cookie recipe below, you can gallop to California where I discovered Cowboy Cookie N’ Grub or just saunter over to your computer and order online as they have a variety of cowboy cookie versions, including the Wrangler and even one coined the Cowchip.

Rachel’s Cowboy Karl Cookies
¾ cup butter
¼ cup shortening
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 2/3 cup white chocolate chip morsels
1 2/3 cup milk chocolate morsels
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 ½ cups uncooked regular oats
½ cup chopped pecans

Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy, gradually add sugars, beat until blended. Add eggs and 1 tsp vanilla. Beating until well blended.
Combine flour, soda, and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture. Stir in morsels, oats and pecans.
Chill dough for ½ hour and drop by ¼ cupfuls onto lightly greased baking sheet. Or use SILPATS on baking sheet like I do.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden.
Remove to wire rack and cool.
*High altitude cowboys: I adapted this for the elevation to: 320 in a convection oven (365 in a regular) and use ¼ less baking soda than the recipe instructions above.