Cowboy Cookies

While their name suggest an arresting origin story, the history of cowboy cookies is a bit murky. The most popular theory points to Texas as their place of birth; their hearty mix-ins could sustain a cowboy through a long day of driving cattle. But like all culinary lore, both the recipe and the story has changed over the years. The cookie itself varies from source to source, but the common denominator is always a mix of old-fashioned oats, shredded or flaked coconut, chocolate (either semisweet chocolate chips or chopped, although white chocolate works just fine), and pecans. This cowboy cookie recipe stays true to those hallmarks. If you prefer your oatmeal cookies without raisins, this might be your new favorite dessert, though a handful of dried cranberries or raisins would certainly be welcome here if you do want to add them. A quick oatmeal cookie dough made with dark or light brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and a healthy dose of cinnamon acts as the glue that holds the copious mix-ins together. The dough gets portioned into balls, rolled in even more adds-ins (to gussy them up a bit), and baked until golden brown and crisp on the outside but perfectly chewy in the center.

Note: When purchasing coconut flakes to use in this recipe, look for the larger irregular shreds versus the small sweetened variety found in blue bags. These larger unsweetened shreds are less prone to burning on the outside and provide a bold coconut flavor without any additional sweetness.