Ranchero Cookies

I have a sweet tooth. I love anything with chocolate and if it's in a cookie, then jackpot! For years I've been looking for a Cowboy Cookie recipe that had oatmeal and chocolate that created a crisp yet, soft centered cookies. Traditional Cowboy Cookies have anything from oatmeal, rice crispy cereal, chocolate chips to even shredded coconut.  Eliminating coconut, rice crispy cereal and adding in brown sugar along with granulated white sugar, I finally hit the jackpot with these Ranchero Cookies that made about 6 dozen delicious treats!

Click here for the recipe for Ranchero Cookies

With Valentine's Day this week, these cookies would be a huge hit at parties, work or just as a delicious dessert to have in your cookie jar at home anytime of the year. Trying to get ahead of  my busy week, Saturday night involved baking these cookies and watching the Olympics with my family at home.  Perfect evening in my book.

For my first batch, I made my Ranchero Cookies larger with about 2 tablespoons of batter on the cookie sheets. After seeing how large they were (about as large as my hand), I reduced the dough to 1 tablespoon in size and they were perfect. These cookies may bake faster than the 7  - 9 minutes I recommend.  Our favorite cookie scope is our ice-cream scoop at our house.  It works perfectly, especially when lightly greased with a oil.

Be careful and watch these Ranchero Cookies closely in your oven as you don't want them to get to bake too long. If you are like me, you'll want a chewy middle with a brown, crispy outer edge.

Click here for the recipe for Ranchero Cookies 

This week my Ranchero Cookies will be shared with my daughter's golf team, co-workers and high school English teachers as this recipe made so many.  You can easily halve this recipe and still have around 3 dozen cookies depending on the size of dough you place on your baking sheets.  I did use parchment paper to line my pan for easy cleanup.  I also used the convection bake element on my oven switching the cookie sheets halfway through to make sure all cookies baked evenly.

I hope you'll enjoy these Ranchero Cookies!  They will definitely be a cookie I will bake for many years to come.

Alise
The Ranch Kitchen

Modern Day Snowball Cookies

Growing up one of the first cookies I learned to make with my mom were Sand Tarts.  They were a simple cookie that didn't require a ton of ingredients and didn't have to look perfect.

During the holidays we love to bake lots of sweets to have out for our little family and to take to our Christmas parties.  Bethany decided to make these cookies tonight that she dubbed Modern Day Snowball Cookies because of the addition of mini chocolate chips and the round shape.

Click here for the recipe for Modern Day Snowball Cookies



She was able to put these light little cookies together quickly and we enjoyed them for dessert when her older sister came in for the holidays tonight.




As my girls become older and I realize it's quality and not quantity time that is important. It's special moments like these I treasure.  It's a favorite meal cooked to welcome a daughter home and then a new dessert creation that will hold special memories of this year's Christmas for my husband, myself and our girls.




Best wishes for a very happy holidays!

Merry Christmas from our ranch to yours!

The Nolans

Thanks for my festive The Ranch Kitchen logo Bethany!

Chocolate Pumpkin Kiss Cookies

 

Our girls were all home this weekend to help support our littlest sister and her Reserve Champion Broiler at a local festival.  It was wonderful having them home a second weekend in a row and it could not have made their little sister more happy.  Mom and dad were pretty excited too. They got to see all their grandparents, family and some friends,eat some home cooked food, decorate little sisters room (Thanks big sis) and most importantly just be home! 

 

Right before my middle daughter went back to college she baked these cookies to take back for her 'Build' committee meeting to a big old group of Aggie boys.  She says they enjoy her sweets and she wanted to make something with a fall feel to it.  I'm proud of these kids as they are part of Texas A&M's first ever 'Build' where they are in the middle of completing a Habitat for Humanity house with the help of students and staff.  It's a huge project and one that will impact a family and give them a better life. Tonight those hard working boys and girls will benefit from these great cookies she prepared. 

 

Finding the Pumpkin Spice Hershey's Kisses can be a problem as we had to walk the grocery store a few times to find two bags...so they must be popular!  The combination of the devil's food cake mix and the pumpkin filling was really a great combination and topped off by the kisses! 

 

This recipe is simple enough for any beginning or experienced cook and certainly something that would be good at any fall celebration.  They packed well for the trip back in a container and should keep for about a week.

 

Credit for this recipe goes to the blog I Heart Naptime at http://www.iheartnaptime.net/chocolate-pumpkin-cookies/.  It's a wonderful site full of great recipes!  Thanks so much!

Click on the recipe here for Chocolate Pumpkin Kiss Cookies for recipes cards or to email to save!
 

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Pumpkin Kiss Cookies

 

1 box devil's food cake mix (chocolate will work too or your favorite cake mix)

1 -15 oz can pumpkin (not pie filling)

1 bag Pumpkin Spice Hershey's Kisses

 

Pre-heat oven to 350°.  In a large bowl combine cake mix and pumpkin. Stir or use a mixer until dough is smooth. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat. Scoop cookie dough onto the pan and then bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove pan and allow to cool for one minute on pan. Gently press kisses in the center of the cookies and then place cookies on a cooling rack.

 

 

 

***Bethany allowed her cookies to cook about five minutes before she added the kisses.  She always uses a melon or cookie scoop to make them uniform in size.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snickers Cookies

Exchanging recipes are the heart of what cookbooks and friendships are for me. Just the other day at a meeting a colleague and friend just knew I had heard of the recipe I share with you today.  I hadn't and immediately went out and bought the ingredients so that I could make these Snickers Cookies asap!  I finally made them tonight, two weeks later and am so glad I did.  My middle daughter will be proud they came out slightly browned as I tend to over toast bread and desserts as I get distracted!  :o)

So give it a try...the variations on this recipe could be endless with all the candies available in our market and grocery stores.



Snickers Cookies ala Sigrid

1 roll of ready made sugar cookies, sliced in 1 1/2 inch rounds -do not roll with out with rolling pin -
1 package of Snicker's Mini Candy Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice sugar cookies rolls in to 1 1/2 inch slices (see pictures).  Place one Snicker's Mini Candy into the center of each round and form sugar cookie dough around the candy, much like when you played with play dough as a child.  Place Snicker cookies on a cookie sheet and bake until slightly browned. 

Cool and serve with a big glass of milk.



These are at the top of my list now.  Get cooking.  Enjoy!