Cowboy Cookies!

Now that I’ve completed 1 full trip around the sun living in Texas, I figured it was only right to start with these! Plus, I thought they’d be perfect to stick in the kids lunch boxes.
The recipe is actually posted on Moosewood’s website, so I’m posting what they have written below:

Cowboy Cookies

We’re not sure why these are called Cowboy cookies-perhaps for their homespun, sturdy, trail-mix qualities-but they may just be the best of the chocolate chip cookie genre. Moosewood sisters Susan Harville and Nancy Lazarus have made them since childhood to rave reviews and have given out the recipe over the years like a pyramiding chain letter. You may have it already. If not, you’ll be glad you do now.

Cowboy cookies appeal to a wide range of people. We sent an enormous box of them to Moosewood cook Tony Del Plato while he was working with Navajo and Hopi people in Big Mountain, Arizona. By return post we received a brief and to-the-point message: “send more cowboys, please. We love to eat them up. Signed, the Indians.”

Yields about 84 cookies
Preparation time: 20 to 25 minutes
Baking time: about 12 minutes per batch
Equipment: electric mixer, baking sheets

1 cup butter, at room temperature
½ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached white pastry flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 cups rolled oats
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 1 ½ cups)

Option: Add 1 cup of raisins and/or ½ cup of coarsely chopped toasted walnuts.

Preheat the oven to 350º.

In a large bowl, thoroughly cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture and blend well. Mix in the oats. Using a large spoon or your hands, fold in the chocolate chips, and the raisins and walnuts, if using. The dough will be fairly stiff.

On un-oiled baking sheets, drop generous rounded teaspoonfuls of dough about 4 inches apart. Bake for about 12 minutes, until golden. Cook completely before storing in a sealed container.

Reprinted from Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts, Copyright © 1997 by Moosewood, Inc. Published by Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., New York, New York, member of the Crown Publishing Group.

I’m not sure what modifications I’ll make to it yet, although I know I’m going to substitute bittersweet chocolate chips because they are a bit less sweet sweet. I’ll also probably try to knock down some of the sugar and butter too. We’ll see how it goes, I’m planning on tackling these today once the wee one wakes up (gymnastics was exhausting apparently!).

Peek back next monday for pics of how these turned out and to see the next recipe!

xo

I hope you’ll join me as I tackle:  Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts  (of COURSE we’re starting with desserts first!).

You can read more about what it’s all about on the About MWM page.

xo
Lauren
(enjoying moderation in moderation )