Cowboy Cookies from Wendy

I MADE THE COOKIES SMALLER THAN THEY MADE THEIRS -- AND I COOKED THEM FOR A TOTAL OF 12 MINUTES, ROTATING THE COOKIE SHEET AT 6 MINUTES

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

Cowboy cookies—full of rolled oats, chocolate chips, toasted nuts, and flakes of coconut—have little to do with 10-gallon hats or gunfights at high noon. Instead they are a product of 1950s nostalgia for the American cowboy; recipes fondly call them hearty enough for the Western frontier.

MAKES 16 COOKIES

We prefer old-fashioned rolled oats in this recipe, but you can use quick or instant oats in a pinch. Do not use thick-cut oats here; the cookies will spread too much. These cookies are big and benefit from the extra space provided by a rimless cookie sheet when baking. Our favorite cookie sheet is the Wear-Ever Cookie Sheet (Natural Finish) by Vollrath.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4 cups (7 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups packed (10 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, 
melted and cooled
• 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups (3 3/4 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped coarse
• 1 cup (3 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut
• 2/3 cup (4 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips - I used Raisans

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 rimless cookie sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in bowl.

   2. Whisk sugar, melted butter, egg and yolk, and vanilla in large bowl until combined. Stir in flour mixture until no dry streaks remain. Stir in oats, pecans, coconut, and chocolate chips until fully combined (mixture will be sticky).

   3. Lightly spray 1/4-cup dry measuring cup with vegetable oil spray. Drop level 1/4-cup portions of dough onto prepared sheets, staggering 8 portions per sheet and spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart. Divide any remaining dough among portions.

   4. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are browned and set and centers are puffed with pale, raw spots, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Do not overbake.

   5. Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely before serving. (Cookies can be stored in airtight container for up to 3 days.)

   TO MAKE AHEAD: At end of step 3, wrap sheets tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, increase baking time to 16 to 18 minutes. To freeze, portion dough onto parchment-lined sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer frozen portions to zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Do not thaw before baking. Increase baking time to 17 to 19 minutes.

DON’T FENCE THEM IN

Cowboy cookies need lots of room to expand and bake evenly. To ensure that they don’t spread into each other while baking, we arrange no more than 8 portions of dough on each parchment-lined cookie sheet.