Ranger Cookies

Ingredients

•  1 cup butter, softened
•  1 cup packed brown sugar
•  1 cup granulated white sugar
•  2 eggs, beaten
•  1⅓ cup all-purpose flour
•  1 teaspoon salt
•  1 teaspoon baking soda
•  1 teaspoon vanilla
•  3 cups old-fashioned oats
•  1 cup crispy rice cereal
•  1 cup chocolate chips
•  ½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Instructions

1. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars. Add beaten eggs and mix well.
2. Sift dry ingredients together and add to the butter/sugar mixture. Add vanilla and mix well. 
3. Stir in oats, rice cereal, chocolate chips, and nuts. Cover the dough and chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
4. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet and set aside.
5. Roll cookie dough into 1-inch balls and place on a sheet pan 2 inches apart. 
6. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.
7. Remove from the oven, let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

• It’s always a good idea to read the full recipe before you start.
• Don’t overmix the cookie dough, you will end up with flat, crispier cookies.
• Don’t skip chilling the dough. The time in the fridge solidifies the butter which prevents the cookies from spreading too much while baking.
• Don’t overbake the cookies. They will continue to cook on the pan as they cool. Remove them from the oven as soon as the edges start to turn golden brown, for a crisp edge with a chewy center.
• I prefer old-fashioned oat over quick oats for ranger cookies. You can actually use either, but they do yield a different texture. Old-fashioned rolled oats are ideal for baking cookies because they retain their texture. Quick oats don’t retain their texture.
• You can use shortening instead of butter for a softer cookie.