Cowboy Cookies

These cookies are fit for a Texas cowboy – they are huge! And they are packed with tons of mix-ins including chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, pecans, corn flakes, and coconut flakes!

How did it take almost 2 months for me to post a new chocolate chip cookie variety? It’s actually kind of surprising to me that I still manage to come up with different mix ins. This recipe was inspired by one I saw on The Food Charlatan, and I adapted the mix ins from that recipe into my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, but in it’s jumbo form. Oh yes, instead of a puny cookie scoop you use a 1/4 cup cookie to make these bad boys.

The original goal behind the making of these cookies was just one portion of yet another epic food themed movie marathon. Last year we hosted all seven hobbit meals while watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy with friends. While nothing can possibly compare to that, we tried our best by hosting a Back to the Future movie marathon, each movie with it’s own themed food. You would think I’d start off by sharing the food from the first movie, but instead we are jumping ahead to the third movie.

The third movie is when Marty goes back to the Western times of 1885. So I came up with a menu inspired by such: taco train (taco bar with a cardboard train engine made by Bob followed by aluminum “cars” filled with toppings, all on paper train tracks made by Haley) with carnitas and homemade salsa, cactus pretzels (green chocolate covered with toasted coconut), guacamole cheese ball (recipe to be shared closed to Cinco de Mayo), these cookies, and a margarita that I will be sharing on Thursday for National Margarita Day!

As for these cookies, I’m not sure what corn flakes, pecans, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, and coconut have to do with being a cowboy, other than the fact that they are huge. And if you associate cowboys with Texas? Well, everything is bigger in Texas. Therefore these cookies are fit for any self respecting Texas cowboy. And any human who has decently functioning taste buds ;-). And although they are not the same as Laura Bush’s cowboy cookies recipe trending on the internet, I think they are fantastic and could compete.

Three years ago: Orange-Vanilla Greek Yogurt Fruit Dip

Four years ago: Cinnamon Apple Quinoa Parfaits

Five years ago: Beef with Barley Soup

COWBOY COOKIES

Makes about 18 cookies

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 egg + 1 yolk, room temperature

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter chips

1 cup toasted pecans, chopped

1 cup corn flakes

1/2 cup coconut flakes

Directions:

1. Sift together the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended (1-2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients in three batches until just blended. Fold in the chips, pecans, corn flakes, and coconut by hand.
3. Lightly coat a 1/4 measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray and drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto a plate. Cover tightly and chill for at least 2 hours, but overnight for best results (I’ve refrigerated for up to a week).
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with silicone baking mats (or parchment paper); set aside.
5. Place cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, about 3 inches apart.
6. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Source: Adapted slightly from My Favorite Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, my Big, Fat, Chewy Multichip Cookies, and The Food Charlatan.