Ranger Cookie Recipe!

I thought I would post one of my favorite cookie recipes for everyone to try today! I've made these for quite a while now and they're very tasty! They're called "Ranger Cookies". I first saw a recipe for Ranger Cookies several years ago in my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook....I have since changed it around a lot and altared it to make my own recipe. :) (Aside from a few minor details, the cooking directions are from the book.)


It's a pretty easy recipe to make, and you can altar it depending on what you prefer to use! I like chocolate chips, rasins, flaked coconut, crushed almonds, rolled oats, and rice cereal in mine - but you can be as creative as you want. They are also really good with a half cup of granola cereal (or a whole cup if you're out of rice krispy's), dried cherries or blueberries in them! ( If you are a diabetic or insulin resistant individual, you can use 1/2 cup of applesauce and a pinch of natural honey instead of sugar. They turn out just as good! )


Ingredients:


1/2 cup REAL butter (softened) - For the love of all things holy, don't even think about using margarin!!


1/2 cup granulated sugar (I prefer the natural raw unrefined sugar, but the white refined sugar works too)


1 egg (I use large brown ones)


1/2 cup packed brown sugar


1/2 tsp baking powder (Optional, you can use 1/4tsp baking soda instead You just need one of the two.)


1 tsp vanilla


1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (Not self-rising flour!!) You can add more flour if the dough is too thin.


2 cups rice krispy cereal


1 cup rolled oats

A small pinch (or for my non baking friends...about 1/8th tsp) of cinnamon or nutmeg (or both if you prefer)

2 cups semi-sweet milk chocolate chips or chunks (dark chocolate works too)


1 cup rasins (you can also use dried cherries or dried blueberries!)


1 1/3 cup flaked coconut (thaw it out first if you use frozen)


Directions:
-Preheat overn to 375 degrees-


1. In a medium bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder or baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.




2. 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, coconut, rasins, choclate chips,etc (you can add nuts if you want to! Sometimes i crush almonds and put them in mine when i have them!!)

***If the dough is a little loose, roll it into a log shape and wrap it in cellophane. Put the dough into the refridgerator for 15 minutes or longer until the dough firms up and is easier to work with!***


3. Drop dough by a rounded teaspoon 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet or a silpat baking mat. (If you have a small ice cream scoop- use that to scoop your dough with and the cookies will all come out the same size). Bake in a 375 degree oven about 8 minute or until edges are golden brown. When you take the cookie sheet out of the oven, carefully smack the underside of the sheet on thetop of the oven (or island) and it will make the cookies easier to take off the cookie sheet when they cool! :)


4. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire rack; cool. Makes about two dozen cookies.




ENJOY!!