Persistent Childhood Memory Cookies

I'm very proud of these cookies.  They are really the first cookies that I have ever created from scratch...although I must admit that I can't take full credit for the inspiration.  

Growing up in Yellowstone National Park meant that the best food we got came directly from our mother's ovens.  No bakery.  No Dunkin Donuts.  Just Mom's home cooking.  

My mom used to make these crispy little cookies that had butterscotch chips in them and, to give them extra crisp, Rice Krispies.  I distinctly remember eating them...but my mother has no memory of ever making them.  And certainly no recipe.   

So, I made them up myself.  They are a great salty sweet oatmeal cookie with an extra crisp crunch, toasted pecans and coconut and not too much butterscotch chip.  The Rice Krispie addition is a little weird - but it's crucial to the texture of the cookie and most people won't be able to guess what the secret is to all that crunch.  This is a cookie with some balance to it...don't overdue the butterscotch chips or it'll just be way too sweet.  I'm pretty sure that its as close as I'll come to a childhood memory cookie.  Thanks Mom.  

Crispy Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1/2 cup pecan pieces (chopped fine)

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 whole eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups AP flour

3 cups of QUICK oats (must be quick - not old-fashioned)

1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies cereal

1/2 to 3/4 cup butterscotch chips (go lightly here)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Place finely chopped pecans and coconut on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown.  (Don't forget about this - they burn easily!)  When toasted, set aside to cool completely.  Meanwhile, cream the butter, shortening and sugars until light in color - about 3 minutes.  Add eggs, vanilla, and orange peel and mix until well-combined.  

In another bowl, whisk together the salt, cinnamon, flour and baking powder.  Add all at once to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.  Add the quick oats and mix some more.  Lastly, add the cooled coconut/pecan mixture, the butterscotch chips and the Rice Krispies.  Mix just until combined - don't overdue the last mixing...I sometimes do this last part by hand.  

Drop onto a greased cookie sheet by the tablespoon and bake for 12-15 minutes until light golden brown. These cookies get crispier as they cool and are great with a cup of tea.   You can freeze the dough in a log and slice it very thinly to bake frozen.  

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