Ranger Cookies

Cookie swaps are not a dream...

They are real. They are awesome.

Since I had never participated in one, I decided to join The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap hosted by Love & Olive Oil and The Little Kitchen. While supporting the Cookies for Kids Cancer, I sent off a dozen cookies to 3 food bloggers & in return I received a dozen different cookies from 3 amazing food bloggers. Win for me!

Here's what I've concluded after successfully participating in a cookie swap:

1. Getting mail is always nice. Getting cookies in the mail is AWESOME.

2. A "taste test" can take 1-12 cookies. You wanna make sure you made em'

    juuusst right.

3. Never make "just enough". It's never enough. (see #2)

4. Sugar comas are real.

5. I ate over 2 dozen cookies in 2 weeks.

6. My jeans are being held by an elastic hair tie (see #5)

7. I can't wait to do it again next year!

For my cookies I decided to go with a recipe I received from my aunt. My mom made them for me the last time I was in Houston visiting. I'm not sure where my aunt got the recipe, but they reminded me so much of ranger cookies that I decided to name them just that. Ranger Cookies. 

These cookies have a nice balance of sweet & crunch with the help of brown sugar & crushed corn flakes. I also couldn't help myself and made the executive decision to add coconut flakes to the mix. 

Good call, Melissa...good call.

The cookies I received were delicious! Billy & I ate really enjoyed them & now I have some new recipes to add to my collection. The first batch of  cookies I received were yummy chocolate cookies, but unfortunately I did not see a name or who they were from. Once I find out, I'll include that info. The second batch were from Lauren of Sizzle Eats. She sent me Whole Wheat Cranberry & Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. No joke...we finished these the same day we got them. I think I had two or three left over the next morning. I just kept telling myself, "hey it's whole wheat, cranberry, & oats...totally healthy. I'll have one more". Trickery! The last batch I received were from Brooke of Baking with Basil. Pomegranate Chocolate Chunk Cookies. MMMmm... chocolate gooey tenderness with pomegranate seeds. So incredibly good! Thanks, ladies!! The cookies were rad-ass!!!  

Now for my Ranger Cookie recipe. To those I sent cookies to, forgive me for the amount of sugar and what not... They were good though, right?!

Ranger Cookies 
Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup crushed corn flakes
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325. Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking powder & baking soda in a medium bowl. Mix in the corn flakes, coconut, and pecans. set aside.
Cream the shortening in the bowl of an electric mixer and slowly add the sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time.
Gradually add the flour mixture. Mix in the vanilla.
Drop cookies (about 1" in size) using spoon or cookie scoop onto baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

Enjoy!