This recipe comes from one of those Junior League-type cookbooks that we had when I was a child. No idea how we got it, since we never were part of whatever organization it was. They're called Cowboy Cookies, and I think they're a fairly standard variation on chocolate chip cookies. I never had any other kind until I was well into grade school. When I had my first Tollhouse cookie, I was so excited because we never had such 'brand name' things at my house. One taste, though, and I was longing for the familiar, hearty goodness of Cowboy Cookies. My mom used to stick in some wheat germ, but now I use ground flax. I thought of adding this recipe because the sensory table had flax seeds today and we were talking about how we add them to cookies and smoothies for ourselves and our kids. The flax can be a substitute for some of the fat or one of the eggs, if you like. In the non-lamented Low Fat Late 80s-Early 90s, I discovered that you could also substitute applesauce for some of the butter (in those days the recipe called for margarine). Though I'm all about the butter these days, the applesauce version is good if you want a cake-ier cookie.
The recipe makes a lot of cookies--probably 5 dozen. You can freeze them already baked, but I like to roll the dough into balls and freeze on a baking tray. Once fully frozen, I transfer the dough balls to a plastic bag and store in the freezer. When we feel like we need a cookie fix, we put the balls on a baking tray and let them thaw while the oven heats up and then bake. They may take a few minutes longer, but they do quite well with this treatment.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups (10 oz) whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar (or raw, natural sugar)
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups rolled oats OR
1 1/2 cup rolled oats plus 1/2 cup ground flax
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 oz chocolate chips (the semisweet ones from Trader Joe's are great)
1 cup chopped nuts (we usually use walnuts but I will be omitting for a while since we're only supposed to do nut butter until Elspeth is older)
Optional extras include grated coconut, raisins, dried tart cherries, wheat germ, pretty much anything you want
DIRECTIONS
The recipe makes a lot of cookies--probably 5 dozen. You can freeze them already baked, but I like to roll the dough into balls and freeze on a baking tray. Once fully frozen, I transfer the dough balls to a plastic bag and store in the freezer. When we feel like we need a cookie fix, we put the balls on a baking tray and let them thaw while the oven heats up and then bake. They may take a few minutes longer, but they do quite well with this treatment.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups (10 oz) whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar (or raw, natural sugar)
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups rolled oats OR
1 1/2 cup rolled oats plus 1/2 cup ground flax
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 oz chocolate chips (the semisweet ones from Trader Joe's are great)
1 cup chopped nuts (we usually use walnuts but I will be omitting for a while since we're only supposed to do nut butter until Elspeth is older)
Optional extras include grated coconut, raisins, dried tart cherries, wheat germ, pretty much anything you want
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Whisk together the dry ingredients (everything up to the butter) in a medium bowl and set aside
- Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, cream the butter and then slowly add the sugars. Cream for several minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy
- Add the flour mixture, a little at a time, mixing between adds
- Beat in one egg, then the other
- Add the rolled oats, then the vanilla and mix briefly
- Add the chocolate chips and nuts and give a final mix to incorporate
- Shape the dough into walnut-sized balls and place on a baking tray an inch or two apart
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden
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