FARGO — Last week, Tony was feeling a bit under the weather, so he asked me to make my Chicken Meatball Minestrone Soup . I was happy to accommodate this request, and when he had finished his soup, he asked if I had any of the delicious chocolate chip cookies I had made to send back to college with our son, Giovanni. I did not, but I still had all the ingredients on hand, so I quickly whipped up a new batch and had a plate of fresh, warm Cowboy Cookies in front of Tony in under 45 minutes. Between the soup and the freshly baked cookies, this was just what Tony needed to set him on the mend.
This recipe is a variation of the Cowboy Cookie recipe made famous by former first lady Laura Bush during her husband’s 2000 presidential campaign. In addition to chocolate chips, these robust cookies are packed with a bevy of add-ins, including oatmeal, shredded sweetened coconut and nuts. Mrs. Bush’s original recipe yields an enormous amount of cookie dough, which ended up being too much for my stand mixer to handle. It also made far more cookies than I needed.
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So, I did a little testing to halve the recipe to create a recipe that would yield only half the amount of dough without killing my mixer and still came out with about three dozen medium-size cookies or 18 jumbo cookies. I halved most of the measurements in the original recipe but used one large egg and one large egg yolk instead of three large eggs.
I also chose to reduce the amount of ground cinnamon in this recipe, which was too dominant for my taste. Moreover, I switched from pecans to walnuts (because I had them on hand) and I also made one batch with old-fashioned oats and one with quick oats to see if there was a significant difference in the final cookie. Both versions were excellent, and you should feel free to use whatever oats and nuts you have in your pantry.
I used a medium ice cream scoop to drop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, but you can use two large spoons instead. You can make the cookies in whatever sizes you choose — I like medium-sized cookies, so I use approximately 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie, but the original recipe calls for ¼ cup per cookie. The cookies bake at 350 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes, just until the edges are lightly browned and the centers are still soft.
Soft, chewy and chockful of flavor, these Cowboy Cookies are a fantastic update to the classic chocolate chip cookies.
Tony gobbles them down almost faster than I can rustle up a batch, and they were a hit with Giovanni and his roommates, too. Yeehaw!
Small Batch Cowboy Cookies
Makes about 3 to 3½ dozen (3-inch) cookies
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Ingredients:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1½ cups quick or old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut flakes
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped (or your favorite nut)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Position the rack in the center of the oven, or, if baking 2 sheets at a time, position the racks in the upper and lower third of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until well combined; set aside.
In a large bowl, use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer to beat the butter on medium-high speed for 1 minute until smooth and creamy. Add both sugars and beat on medium speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the egg and beat on medium speed until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add the egg yolk and beat again on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the vanilla and beat on medium for 15 seconds.
Stir in the flour mixture on the lowest speed until just combined. Add the chocolate chips, oats, coconut flakes and nuts and mix at lowest speed until fully incorporated; you can also use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to fold these ingredients into the batter.
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Use a scoop or two spoons to drop about 2 to 2 ½ tablespoons of dough (for medium-sized cookies) onto the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart. For jumbo cookies, use ¼ cup of dough per cookie.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes until the edges are lightly brown, rotating the sheets halfway through from top to bottom (if baking 2 sheets at a time).
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
To store/freeze: Transfer cookies to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. To freeze unbaked cookies, drop the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and place it in the freezer for 1 hour. Transfer frozen cookie balls to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, place the cookies on a baking sheet to warm up just while the oven preheats, and add a few minutes to the baking time as needed.
To double this recipe: Omit the egg yolk and use 3 large eggs instead; double the amount of the remaining ingredients. This will yield an excess of cookie dough so you may need to fold in the chocolate chips, oatmeal, coconut and walnuts.
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