Description
Laura Bush’s Cowboy Cookies are a classic American dessert featuring a perfect blend of semisweet chocolate chips, oats, shredded coconut, and pecans. These hearty, soft, and chewy cookies combine warm spices and a rich buttery base, making them ideal for sharing or freezing. The recipe yields a large batch of delicious cookies with a delightful texture and flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1½ cups packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Add-ins
- 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
- 2 cups chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Dry Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt to ensure even distribution of dry ingredients.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a separate large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, which should take about 3 to 5 minutes. This step is crucial for the cookie texture.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs one at a time to the creamed butter and sugar, beating well after each addition to create a smooth batter. Stir in the vanilla extract thoroughly.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until combined to avoid overworking the dough which can make the cookies tough.
- Incorporate Mix-Ins: Fold in the semisweet chocolate chips, old-fashioned rolled oats, shredded coconut, and chopped pecans until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Portion Dough and Bake: Drop dough by heaping tablespoons or use a large cookie scoop onto ungreased baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between cookies to allow for spreading. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers appear set.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes to firm up before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely. This prevents breakage and helps maintain texture.
Notes
- This recipe makes a large batch — perfect for sharing with family and friends or for freezing to enjoy later.
- For extra flavor, toast the chopped pecans lightly before adding them to the dough.
- Chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking can help prevent cookies from spreading too much in the oven, resulting in thicker cookies.
