Laura Bush’s Texas Governor’s Mansion Cowboy Cookies are almost as popular as
the First Lady is!
Every time I have interviewed Mrs. Bush everyone who worked with me has been so impressed with how gracious and genuinely nice she is.
Well, Mrs. Bush’s cookies get rave reviews too, and it’s easy to see why!
Texas sized oatmeal cookies loaded with chocolate chips and nuts, these are some of my favorite cookies ever.
Every four years Family Circle Magazine holds a cookie contest between Presidential candidate’s spouses.
In 2000 Mrs. Bush’s Texas Governor’s Mansion Cowboy Cookies won by a landslide over Tipper Gore’s Gingersnaps.
Here’s the original recipe for Laura Bush’s Texas Governor’s Mansion Cowboy Cookies.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup butter (at room temperature)
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened flake coconut
2 cups chopped pecans
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.
In 8-quart bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugars; beat to combine, 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla extract.
Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans.
For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Bake for 17 to 19 minutes, until edges are lightly browned; rotate sheets halfway through.
Remove cookies from rack to cool.
Simple sugar cookies are another holiday favorite of mine and I’ll be sharing a killer recipe.
Do you have a favorite Christmas cookie? Gingersnaps? Snickerdoodles? Please tell me your favorite in the comments below.
Enjoy!
Even though I rarely make cookies, after hearing about this recipe for years, I’ll have to make a batch!
Hope you enjoy them Peggy, I did! Thanks for commenting, Jane
Thanks for the recipe… I also add red candied cherries to mine at Christmas !
Oh that would be good and so pretty!! Thanks, Jane
Jane, I have many favorite recipes of all kinds. This cookie recipe is much requested by family and friends. I hope you will try it and fall in love with them too.
SURPRISE CHOCOLATE COOKIES
Makes about 2 dozen
1 3/4 cups all-purpose Flour
3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, softened
1 cup Sugar
1 Large Egg
1/2 cup Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
12 Large Marshmallows, cut in half Horizonally
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, Cocoa, baking soda and salt.
In large bowl of electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add flour mixture and mix well. Drop about a Tablespoon (Not Heaping) of dough onto Very Lightly greased cookie sheet, or parchment paper about 2 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove from oven, place a marshmallow half, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie and press down Slightly.
Return to oven and continue baking about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes until marshmallows are “poofy” to the very light touch. Do not press down on them or it will indent the center.
Cool on wire rack and cool completely.
CHOCOLATE FROSTING………
2 cups Powdered Sugar
4 Tablespoons Butter, MELTED and cooled.
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1/4 cup Milk
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla
Beat until smooth.
When cookies are totally cooled, spread about 1 Tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in center and let it run down to cover marshmallow all the way around, may have to slightly guide it. Only the marshmallow should be covered.
Thank you so much Dian! Those sound absolutely delicious! Jane