A sweet treat fit for a First Family.
And the story behind her famous cowboy cookie recipe is almost as good as the cookies themselves.
Starting in 1992,Family Circlemagazine orchestrated a political bake-off during every presidential election year.
Credit:Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
The bake-off results have interestinglyalmost always predictedthe winner of the presidential election, save a couple outliers.
In 1996, Hillary’s chocolate chip recipe won over Elizabeth Dole’s Pecan Roll cookies.
They’re sure to win over any crowd.
Credit:Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Why Are Cowboy Cookies Called That?
With a few fun origin stories, no one knows where the name cowboy cookie comes from.
Some believe that it was initially a sweet treat enjoyed by frontiersmen of the Old West.
Credit:Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
Others claim the cookie was created in Texas, the cowboy capital.
Whatever the case, this fully-loaded dessert is a winner.
What’s in a Cowboy Cookie?
Credit:Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
SomeSouthern Livingrecipe reviewers suggest scaling back the cinnamon to just one teaspoon.
Try it the original way yourself, then adjust in future batches.
Are Ranger Cookies the Same as Cowboy Cookies?
Ranger cookies are similar to cowboy cookies, but ranger cookies swap Rice Krispie cereal for the pecans.
Defrost them at room temperature on the counter until they’re soft enough to eat.
Can You Freeze Cowboy Cookies?
Leftovercookie dough can be frozenfor up to three months.
Roll cookie dough into a log and seal in an airtight zip-top bag.
Alternatively, scoop cookie dough into balls on a baking sheet and freeze for an hour.
Transfer the frozen balls into a zip-top bag or container.
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in bowl.
Gradually beat in sugars to combine, 2 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each.
Stir in flour mixture until just combined.
Add chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans.
Let cookies cool 10 minutes on baking sheet, then remove cookies to rack to cool.
Some might even call these cowboy cookiesgiant.
This recipe calls for 1/4 of a cup of dough per cookiethat makes one giant cookie.
Before removing them from the oven, look for cookies with a golden-brown exterior and edges that look set.
Allow them to rest on the tray for several minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
