Cowboy Cookies

The older I get, the more picky I seem to get about my cookies. Even as a kid, I hated the Chips Ahoy chewy chocolate chip cookies, and most commercial cookies. Too sweet, too bland, not enough bitter chocolate taste, and a mushy texture. My favorite chocolate chip cookies were, and continue to be, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. They often have a saltiness that compliments the nutty oats and the bitter chocolate, and their texture is much improved with the grain added.

Of course, someone in ancient history had to make some sort of royal decree or conspiracy that all oatmeal cookies must have raisins instead of chocolate. I like raisins, but not in my oatmeal cookies. They make everything too sweet, and ruin the texture. Does anyone like oatmeal raisin cookies?

These cookies are sometimes made without coconut, and are very customizable. Feel free to experiment: white chocolate chips, toffee chunks, walnuts, macadamia nuts, or butterscotch chips (raisins only if you want to disappoint Miss Mochi and contribute to the conspiracy).

Apparently the former First Lady Laura Bush and Tipper Gore had a cookie baking contest in Family Circle during the 2000 presidential election, and Mrs. Bush submitted a monster cowboy cookie recipe. Politics aside, these are delicious!

I made these cookies when I was studying for my state board exams, and brought them into work for my taste testers (a.k.a coworkers) to try them out. These are some seriously big cookies, so feel free to make them smaller. I happen to like them smaller, but somehow I end up eating more of them that way.

Cowboy Cookies


1 cup shortening (or butter, I've used both) room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. Next, cream the shortening (or butter), and both sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure it is fully encorporated before adding the second egg, then mix in the vanilla. Add in the flour mixture in a couple batches. Carefully stir in the bulky ingredients one at a time: oats, pecans, chocolate, and coconut. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, spoon cookie dough onto a greased foil lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes (adjust time if you make smaller cookies), until the edges are just browned but the center still looks puffy and soft. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

See Also:
Matcha Shortbread Cookies
Coconut Icebox Cookies
Sriracha Bar