Thursday, February 24, 2011

Ranger Cookies


Last year I was on a quest to find new cookie recipes to save our family from the same old cookies I made consistently. Don't get me wrong - I love my GINGERBREAD COOKIES, and the cookies I call BEAR POOP, and good ol' chocolate chip cookies - but I was in a cookie gutter and needed a new recipe lift. I got a cookie book from the library and scored some pretty good recipes. This recipe is one of them. I have taken these cookies to pot lucks and to friends and they always get compliments because they are delicious. FYI -  There is a fine line between cooked and overcooked with these. I take them out of the oven at the 8 minute mark even if they don't look thoroughly cooked. Once they have cooled and you take them off the cookie sheet, you will see they are golden brown on the bottom and crispy on the outside and moist in the middle. Every oven is different though, so you will have to experiment. The recipe gives the option of crisp rice cereal or rolled oats. I have not tried it with the crisp rice cereal - I am a rolled outs kind of girl. For the dried fruit, I always double the recipe so I put in 1 cup of craisins and 1/2 a cup cut up apricots and 1/2 a cup cut up prunes. The prunes might sound weird - but I bought a huge bag that no one in my house wants to eat, so ssshhhhh - I am getting rid of them by putting them in these cookies. To my surprise - the prunes taste pretty darn good. So the craisin, apricot and prune combination is good BUT just a suggestion - use up what you have. Here is the recipe:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar 
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
1 egg   1 teaspoon vanilla 
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups crisp rice cereal or 1 cup rolled oats
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup mixed dried fruit chopped (craisins, apricots and prunes, etc.)

Directions

1. In a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda; beat until combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Stir in cereal or oats, coconut, dried fruit.

2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake in a 375 degree F oven about 8 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack; cool.

Here is the recipe card...

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