Cowboy Cookies

Originally a restaurant recipe, this was tweaked and adapted by my grandmother into a legendary chewy cinnamon treat. So named, according to the legend, because my uncle was busy playing "cowboys and indians" and claimed cowboys don't eat cookies. Maybe they do, maybe they don't, but cowboys certainly eat cowboy cookies.

WARNING: Makes between 8 and 12 dozen cookies, depending on scoop size and how much dough gets tasted. Making these may result in the impromptu celebration of "Help, I Made Too Many Cookies," which is when friends, neighbors, classmates, coworkers, and service people are gifted baskets and bags of them. Or, just halve the recipe.

Required Ingredients

2 cups Crisco
4 cups light brown sugar
4 large eggs, unbeaten
1/2 cup milk
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cloves
1/4 cup cinnamon (4 tbsp) or more
6 cups quick oatmeal
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Process

Cream together in an electric mixer the Crisco and brown sugar.

Add and beat in until smooth the eggs and milk.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, and cinnamon, then add by parts to the mixer.

when batter is well combined, transfer to a VERY LARGE bowl. Fold in and mix very well the oatmeal and chocolate chips.

Spoon onto greased pans in one inch balls, 2 inches apart, and bake at 350 for about 12 minutes.

Cool on cooling rack once set enough to move (you'll want that pan, just keep rotating them). Dough also keeps well in fridge or freezer for use later.