Cowgirl Cookies
Cowboy cookies cram oats, coconut, chocolate, and nuts into a white-flour dough. This cowgirl version tastes light and flavorful because it does away with wheat altogether. Using ground oats and nuts instead of flour enhances the nuttiness and crunch of these chunky cookies. Coconut sugar reinforces the tropical richness of the coconut flakes, while dried cherries deliver a fruity chew. To guarantee lots of chocolate in each bite, both tiny flakes and big hunks run throughout the dough. Best of all, the dough comes together effortlessly in the food processor. That minimal effort yields big rewards for busy cooks in need of a delicious energy boost.
makes about 3 dozen
gluten-free
- 8 ounces (226 g) bittersweet chocolate
- 2 cups (192 g) old-fashioned rolled gluten-free oats
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (218 g) pecans or walnuts, or a combination, toasted
- ¾ cup (71 g) unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (128 g) coconut palm sugar
- ¼ cup (52 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 large egg white, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup (77 g) dried sour cherries or cranberries
1. Break or chop the chocolate into big pieces. Put the chocolate in a food processor and pulse until most of it is in ½-inch chunks. Transfer to a large bowl, along with all the powdery flakes of chocolate; if there are any big pieces of chocolate remaining, break them up by hand. Add the oats to the processor and process until very finely ground. Add the baking powder, salt, and ¾ cup (82 g) of the nuts and pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer to the bowl with the chocolate and add the coconut. (No need to wash the processor bowl.)
2. Combine the butter and both sugars in the processor and pulse until the mixture is the texture of wet sand, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add the egg, egg white, and vanilla and process until well blended, scraping the bowl occasionally. Transfer to the bowl with the coconut and chocolate and fold gently until well combined. Add the dried cherries and remaining 1¼ cups (136 g) nuts and fold gently until evenly distributed.
3. These cookies taste better if the dough is chilled. You can cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough until firm, at least 1 hour, then scoop it, but it’s easier to scoop the dough before chilling—so if you have a refrigerator that can hold half sheet pans, scoop it first: Using a tablespoon measure (the best way to get a chunky rustic cookie), drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto parchment-paper–lined pans, spacing the mounds 2 inches apart. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.
4. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F.
5. Bake the cookies one pan at a time until the tops just lose their glossy shine, 12 to 14 minutes. Do not overbake.
6. Cool on the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes, then slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto the racks to cool completely.
MAKE AHEAD
The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. The cookies taste best the day they’re made but will keep at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
