A cookie that’s big in size and flavor!
Did you know that cookies can predict elections? Well, at least when it comes to presidential bake-offs. Since 1992, Family Circle magazine has been hosting a delicious competition where potential first ladies submit their best cookie recipes, and readers pick their favorite. And surprisingly, the winning cookie tends to predict the outcome of the actual election!
In 2000, Laura Bush, the wife of then-Texas Governor George W. Bush, submitted her recipe for Cowboy Cookies. These mouthwatering treats won by a landslide and have since become Family Circle’s most widely circulated presidential cookie recipe. And trust me, it’s easy to see why. These cookies are not your ordinary chocolate chip cookies. They are loaded with extra texture and flavor that will leave you wanting more.
Laura’s Cowboy Cookies are big and bold, just like everything in Texas. In fact, they are so popular that every time you share them, you’ll end up with multiple requests for the recipe. I’ve been baking these cookies for years, and let me tell you, they are universally loved. One time, I made them for a family event, and they disappeared so quickly that there were none left for the reception afterward. And this recipe makes three dozen cookies!
To make these sensational cookies, you’ll need a big bowl and some arm muscles because the dough is thick. It starts with a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe and adds shredded coconut, rolled oats, chopped pecans, and a hint of cinnamon. With ten cups of delicious additions, these cookies have a chewy texture that is positively unmatched.
These cookies are not just big in size, but also in flavor. Scooped out in quarter-cup portions, they spread out while baking, resulting in cookies with crisp edges and a soft center that is thoroughly studded with chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and pecans. Each ingredient works together in a seamless and delicious way to create the ultimate showstopper of a cookie.
Cowboy Cookies Recipe
- Serves: 36
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups light-brown sugar, packed
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 cups sweetened flake coconut
- 2 cups chopped pecans
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a separate and very large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in sugars and mix until thoroughly combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and pecans.
- Drop the dough onto an ungreased baking sheet in 1/4 cup portions, spacing them 3 inches apart.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. The cookie edges should be lightly browned. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Enjoy these delicious cookies!
Recipe from Family Circle
