Saddle on up for another round of cookie rodeo. Here we have another recipe from the B&B website, that features among its ingredients: oatmeal, brown sugar, and that cowboy staple, cornflakes. It also uses shortening an ingredient I swear I've never used before. I used crisco, which is a vegetable based shortening, so I think that makes it a little less gross. I can't say how shortening makes these cookies more ranch-hand than cookies that use butter, much like I couldn't tell you what made my old fashioned chocolate ice cream old fashioned. I think you could use butter rather than shortening and your cookies will come out fine. Oh, and city-fied eggs will also suffice.

Cowboy Cookies
From Craig Ranch Bed and Breakfast & Horse Motel

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large country eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup corn flakes
• 1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°
• Cream shortening, sugar, and brown sugar.
• Add eggs one at a time, blending well after each.
• Add vanilla.
• In a medium bowl, mix baking soda, salt, flour, & oatmeal.
• Add to butter mixture.
• Stir in corn flakes.
• Drop on cookie sheet and bake about 9 minutes.

About this recipe: I've modified the directions for you since they weren't all that descriptive on the web site. I think my way worked well and will work well for you too.

The only difference I noted between creaming butter and sugar and creaming shortening and sugar is that the shortening has a lighter, less dense consistency so this step took less time than it would had I used butter. Also, the look on my face was quite different from the usual satisfied look of butter and sugar becoming one to one of mild repulsion.

But, I was able to get past my aversion and carry on, much as I imagine rugged and tough cowboys do on the range. Is it just me or do you hear the faint howl of coyote?

As I added the flour/oatmeal mixture in 1/2 cup increments my batter slowly and surely came together to resemble in color and consistency, chunky peanut butter. So if that's what your batter ends up looking like you've done it right. Stirring in the corn flakes took a strong arm but it was nonetheless enjoyable to smash the little crunchy flakes into the dough.

I then set to work dropping out generous mounds of the stuff on ungreased baking sheets. While baking, these cookies spread quite a bit so make sure to space your rounds so they don't crowd each other. I must report that the suggested cooking time of 9 minutes was very low. My cookies weren't done for 14 - 15 minutes.

The result? A very crunchy, dry cookie that stars the brown sugar, its noble flavor rising up over the oatmeal, cornflakes, and shortening. Without brown sugar these cookies would be very plain. These cookies are the perfect kind for dunking in a cold glass of milk.

Tomorrow I'll end my series of cookies on a high note: Double Chocolate Chip Cookies. Until then, I am yours, etc.

The Baking Fool.