Cowboy Cookies

Every so often the old favorites 'wear thin' and I look for another handy cookie recipe. This one I found in www.allrecipes.com where there are many versions of this cookie. Frankly, I had never heard of it before and only stumbled across it by an 'ingredient search' in trying to use up some leftover baking supplies. Much to my surprise, this version called "Grandma's Cowboy Cookies" has become a huge hit both at home and at work where I like to 'test' my experiments.

Just last night the teenager came by,
cookie in one hand and empty cookie jar in the other.... "I think we are out of these cowboy cookies" he says. "Any chance for a repeat test?". Officially, these are now his favorite.

Ingredients

(I changed it up a little to suit my own preference using butter instead of margarine, Splenda brown sugar mix, 'upped' the flour content to offset the butter and increased the peanut butter)

• 3/4 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup margarine (or butter)
  
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (or increase by 1/4 cup)
  
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (2 1/4 if using butter)
  
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and turn oven to 350 degrees. Cream shortening, butter (or margarine) white sugar and brown sugar until it is smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time and then stir in the peanut butter and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients separately (except oats, nuts and chocolate chips). Mix into the creamed sugar mixture. Add the oats, nuts and chocolate chips. Place on lined cookie sheets in tbsp size mounds. Bake about ten minutes to 12 minutes depending on your oven's strength (I kept the cookies smaller and only put then into the oven for 8 to 9 minutes....careful...don't burn the bottom). Cool on baking sheet for no more than five minutes to give a more stable bottom and then transfer the cookie to a rack to finish cooling.

yum....yum....yum.....