Cowboy Cookies

Everybody from Laura Bush to Martha Stewart has a recipe for cowboy cookies, though no one seems sure of the origin of the name.  My guess is their gigantic size and heartiness invokes a strapping cowboy.  I first made these cookies this past Christmas, and they are already a staple of my baking.  The batch I made yesterday is gone already.  Many recipes contain pecans and coconut, which I can't include as my son has a tree nut allergy.  Not to worry, my cookies are still packed with delicious cookie goodness:  butter, sugar, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and pretzels.  They also contain a hefty dose of oats, so you can tell yourself you're eating a healthy snack.  And for teenagers this is a great snack: pack a few in their lunches, and they'll stay full through weight lifting and other strenuous after-school athletic endeavors.

Cowboy Cookies (3dozen)

13/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups oats
1 tsp. coffee powder
1/4 cup hot water
1 cup softened unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
l large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup thin pretzel sticks, broken into small pieces

Whisk together the flout, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and oats.

Dissolve coffee in the hot water.

Beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.  Add egg and egg yolk and beat until well blended.  Add coffee and vanilla.

Add half of dry ingredients.  Mix 15 seconds. Mix in remaining dry ingredients until just blended.  Mix in chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and pretzels.  Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Using 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie, roll into balls.  Arrange 2 inches apart and flatten slightly with hand.

Bake until edges are golden brown, about 11 to 13 minutes.  Cool slightly on sheets; then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.