Laura Bush's Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies, a Delicious Oatmeal Cookie Deluxe!

These cookies have been linked onto Pinterest and while I am not sure where it started the version I tried is from joyouslydomestic.blogspot.com and it is a GREAT cookie.  It has appeared in The New York Times and Family Circle magazine and the recipe looks to have remained the same for the most part.  The back story is that in  2000 this recipe by Laura Bush beat out Tipper Gore's gingersnap cookie recipe in a magazine contest.  The story is that both potential first wives each submitted a cookie recipe in the months leading up to that election and the readers voted for their favorite.

It is a terrific recipe and I am going to freeze half of these for the Holidays.  Might as well get started!

Ingredients for Laura Bush's Texas Governor's mansion Cowboy Cookies:

3 C. flour
1 T. baking powder
1 T. soda
1 T. cinnamon
1 t. salt
1 1/2 C. soft butter (3 sticks)
1 1/2 C. sugar
1 1/2 C. brown sugar
3 eggs
1 T. vanilla
3 C. chocolate chips
3 C. old fashioned rolled oats
2 C.sweetened flaked coconut
2 C. chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare the baking sheets with parchment paper or sil-pat mats and set aside.

Mix  the flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and set aside.  Using a very large mixing bowl, beat the room temperature butter until it is very light and fluffy at medium speed with an electric mixer (stand if you have one).  I will become very smooth and creamy.   Gradually beat in both sugars combining well.  Add the eggs one at a time and beat after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla.

Stir in the flour mixture until just combined.  I used my stand mixer but this is a very heavy dough and you may have problems using a hand mixer.  You may want to stir by hand at this point.Stir in the chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and pecans.

For each cookie, drop a heaping rounded tablespoon onto a prepared  baking sheet.  Space 3" apart. 
I shaped and flattened them a bit with my fingers and made 6 per pan.

Bake 10 minutes until edges are slightly brown and cookies are set.  Allow cookies to cool in their pans for 3-4 minutes before removing them to cool on the counter.  Yield 4 1/2 dozen large cookies.