Cowboy cookies
My plan had been to write about baseball this week. But then the Astros didn’t do so well on Opening Day and I got word about an award this blog won so, well, I decided to bake cowboy cookies instead. I hope you don’t mind.
Cowboy cookies probably have very little to do with cowboys, but this doesn’t mean they’re not good. Typically, a cowboy cookie is defined by the presence of brown sugar, cinnamon, oats, chocolate, and nuts. And some people doll them up even more by throwing in some coconut and raisins as well.
My assumption is that the recipe for cowboy cookies was probably originally found on a package of oatmeal or brown sugar. I couldn’t find proof of this, but a little digging did reveal that the recipe has probably been around for at least 60 years as I read a document written in the early 1980s that said one woman’s recipe had been in her family for over 40 years. And yep, it was the same one we all use today.
I also found a recipe for cowboy cookies in a 1959 edition of the Toledo Blade, though this one was completely different. This cowboy cookie called for molasses, coffee, and boiling water, along with eggs, butter, and flour. Perhaps there’s a hint of authenticity to that recipe as those ingredients are more likely to be found on a chuck wagon than chocolate chips and oatmeal. I didn’t make those cookies, however, as I wasn’t in the mood for a cookie made with coffee—I wanted the cowboy cookie I’d grown up with, full of oats, chocolate, and nuts. And my, these did not disappoint.
Now, about that award. Well, I don’t want to sound boastful, but I have to say that I am over the moon that Homesick Texan was recognized in the First Annual Saveur Food Blog Awards as best regional cuisine blog. A Texas-sized congratulations to all the winners and nominees. And also, many thanks to both Saveur and you for your support. Now go enjoy these cookies—I baked them for you!
Cowboy cookies
Ingredients
- 1⁄2 cup pecans, chopped
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 3⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
- 3⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3⁄4 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. While the oven is heating, place the pecans in an oven-safe skillet and roast in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven.
- Cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until fluffy.
- Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and add to butter, sugar and egg mixture. Beat until well incorporated, and then stir in oats, chocolate chips, and roasted pecans.
- Roll dough into walnut-sized balls, place the sheet and bake for 14-17 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.
Congratulations! You certainly deserve it. Your writing and photos are wonderful.
This cowboy cookie recipe looks scrumptious. Thanks for the background info!
So many congrats on your award! You deserve it. These cookies remind me of some cookies my mom used to bake when I was little – I think she called them Ranger cookies for some strange reason. The combination of flavors sounds good to me, no matter what they're called!
Congratulations on your award! I am not a Texan, but I believe there is a kinship between people that recognize that bacon and gravy have their own place in the food pyramid.
I never knew what these cookies were called all I knew was my favorite cookie was oatmeal, raisin, chocolate chip, coconut, and nut! We called it the "Loaded Cookie". I was the only that would eat them, so I didn't get them very often until I learned to bake. My mom complained that I had so many things in the cookies that the batter was just a binder! That's how it should be sometimes!
Congratulations! When I tell my hubby what you've posted…I am sure he'll be asked me to make these cookies for him. He's the biggest "kid" in our house for sure!
My grandma wasn't the sort of grandmother who baked delicious cookies and cakes and served them adoringly to her grandchildren. She was the sort of grandmother that would make you a dry turkey sandwich – half if she thought you were looking a little chubby. She did, however, make cookies that were very similar to these. She called them Pat Boone cookies and we gobbled them up whenever they made an appearance. Thanks for the great memory (and a recipe that doesn't include a couple sticks of lard).