Cowgirl Cookies

Someone asked me on Instagram why these are called Cowgirl Cookies, and my answer to them was “because they are wildly delicious”.

And while they are, the truth is I adapted them from a recipe I found for Cowboy Cookies and mixed things up with some feminine energy and a name change. After a Google search, I then discovered there are loads of various recipes for Cowgirl Cookies, so while it’s hardly an original name or concept, this is my version of a cookie which I will most definitely be baking again and again.

Cowgirl Cookies are chocolate chip cookies on steroids with the addition of salted pretzels, crisps and pecan nuts. If you’re into sweet and salty in one, you will love them as much as I do.

You’ll find the majority of ingredients needed for these belters from CNC’s online shop, with each of them linked directly to the product page.

There’s a trick to baking these which includes removing the cookies from the oven after the first 5 minutes and banging the baking tray on a kitchen counter. This goes against every general baking rule in the book when it comes to opening an oven before you’re done, but it works so please trust me on this and just go with it.

Unlike a lot of other cookie recipes I’ve either used or shared in the past, you don’t need to chill this dough, which ultimately means freshly baked cookies in under an hour. The mixture makes about 18 generously-sized cookies, which also freeze beautifully. You also don’t need any fancy kitchen equipment for these, just mix by hand with a wooden spoon. Depending on the size of your oven and baking trays, you might also have to bake these in batches.

Ingredients

220g butter, at room temperature
165g muscovado sugar
50g light brown sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons vanilla extract or essence
265g flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
120g rolled oats
70g dessicated coconut
280g Callebaut Dark Callets
60g salted pretzels, crushed
60g salted crisps, crushed
60g pecan pieces
sea salt flakes, for sprinkling

Method

Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Combine the butter and sugars in large mixing bowl and mix to combine.
Add the eggs one at a time, until fully combined.
Add the vanilla and beat in until completely combined.
Add the flour, baking power, salt and mix until combined.
Fold in the oats and coconut, then add the callets, pretzels, crisps and pecan pieces and mix until just combined.
Roll 2 tablespoons of the dough at a time into balls and place on the baking tray about 6cm apart.
Bake in the oven for 5 minute then remove the tray and gently bang on the surface of a kitchen counter 3 times until the cookies flatten.
Place back in the oven and bake for a further 4 minutes, until the edges just begin to turn golden.
Remove from the oven, tap again on a kitchen counter three times, sprinkle with sea salt and leave to cool on the baking tray for about 10 minutes (they will continue to cook slightly on the tray).