As I was mixing up the dough for Cowboy Cookies--I posted a recipe for these a while back--I wondered why, oh, why, does no one ever make cowgirl cookies? I mean, really! Why do Cowboy Cookies get all the fame? Even former first lady Laura Bush put out a recipe for Texas Cowboy Cookies, not Cowgirl Cookies. I googled cowgirl cookies and got few hits, most being a repetition of Cowboy Cookies. So, I decided we need to change things up a bit, make life a little more equal if only in cookie format. I started with the basic cowboy recipe but changed the additions to include white baking morsels, toasted almonds, and coconut. The cookies are quite good. Just as addictive as Cowboy Cookies but a little lighter tasting. The Cowgirl Cookies are great alongside or even sandwiching vanilla ice cream. They also make a good afternoon or evening snack, and, with lots of oats and rice crispies in them, they are reasonably nutritious as far as cookies go. I make the cookies in the air fryer, baking a half dozen or so at a time and stashing the remainder of the dough in the refrigerator for quick cookies another day.
Air Fryer Cowgirl Cookies -- Makes 12+
2 tablespoons of butter, melted
1/4 cup of canola oil
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
3/4 cup of quick oats
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 cup of rice /crispy rice cereal
1/2 cup of shredded coconut
1/2 cup of toasted slivered almonds
1/2 cup of white baking morsels
In a medium bowl or quart measure, combine the melted butter, oil, and sugars well. Beat in the egg, salt, and vanilla. Add the oats, baking powder, baking soda, flour, cinnamon, and rice crispies and stir until they're incorporated into the dough. Fold in the coconut, almonds, and white baking morsels. Cut 6-7-inch squares of baking parchment (just big enough to fit your air fryer basket). Scoop two or three 1 1/2 tablespoon portions of dough onto each the parchment sheets, placing the scoops of dough as far apart from each other as possible. Flatten the dough scoops/balls with your hand until they're about an inch high. Bake the dough for 8-10 minutes, stopping when the cookies are set but look a little soft in the middle. Remove the cookies on their parchment from the air fryer and set them aside to cool. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining dough or refrigerate the rest of the dough for baking another day.
