Cowboy Cookies
I've only got a few more days of baking until my baby arrives! And since I cleaned my baking corner this weekend, I realized I have a TON of half used bags of chips, pretzels and M&M's to use up before they go bad! So today, I decided to make some cookies... Cowboy Cookies! These...
I've only got a few more days of baking until my baby arrives! And since I cleaned my baking corner this weekend, I realized I have a TON of half used bags of chips, pretzels and M&M's to use up before they go bad! So today, I decided to make some cookies... Cowboy Cookies! These are a great cookie to make when you need to use up some food that's about to go bad. Plus, they're delicious!
I've often wondered though... what exactly goes into a Cowboy Cookie? I did a little digging online and couldn't really find a solid history of the cookie. I've seen them made with everything from nuts and coconut to oats and raisins and of course... chocolate! I kinda always thought of these cookies as a "whatever you've got left in your kitchen" type of cookie. So, that's what I'm going with today.
These cookies have butterscotch, white chocolate, and semi-sweet chocolate chips, M&M's and pretzel chunks. Oh... and a special little ingredient for some added kick: espresso powder! (Everything but the kitchen sink!) I've made a cookie before with pretzels in them and everyone who ate them were surprised at how tasty they were... but pretzels in cookies? Ya just gotta try it! YUM!
I made a double batch of these so I could take them into my husband's office... made a few jumbo cookies and a few regular size too. I'm pretty sure the soldiers will love them!
Cowboy Cookies
These cookies are perfect for all the leftover stuff you've got in your baking pantry! Just throw "whatever" into the batter and you've got some pretty tasty Cowboy Cookies!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 eggs
- 4 ½ cups flour
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- ½ cup butterscotch chips
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used a combo of mini and regular size chips just because that's what I had on hand)
- ½ cup of M&M's + a few more to put on top
- 1 cup pretzel chunks + a few more to put on top (I used pretzel rods, but any kind of coarse chopped pretzels will work. You want chunks, not too fine.)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and espresso powder.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar - about 2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and eggs, scrape the sides of the bowl and beat on high for 4-5 minutes. You want this mixture to be light in color and fluffy.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on medium until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure it's all incorporated.
- Add the chips and M&M's and mix until combined.
- Fold in by hand the pretzels - you don't want them to break into pieces.
- For larger cookies, scoop 8 golf ball size balls of dough onto cookie sheet. Place a couple extra pretzel chunks and M&M's on top of each ball. Bake 9-11 minutes or until edges and top start to brown.
- For regular size cookies, scoop tablespoon size balls of dough onto cookie sheet. Place 1-2 extra pretzel chunks and M&M's on top of each ball. Bake 8-9 minutes or until edges and top start to brown.
- Let cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe inspired by: For the Love of Cooking
Wow, I saw Brian’s and it was great. Every cool to see another perspective. The person with the umbrella really gives it the ‘moment’ that great photographs require. Nice work man!