Home On the Range

These cookies plunked themselves right down in the middle of my childhood. They showed their pretty little faces at many Girl Scout meetings, and I recall the first time I had one. I was in love with the little bit of salt that I could taste in them, and it was then that I first realized sugar could be so much more productive when combined with salt. I realized that salt didn't exactly taste like anything, but it shaped the flavors of the things it touched.

Last weekend (oh, you know, during Sausage Time) we started talking about ranger cookies, and the sheer joy on Matty's face when he thought about them was enough to convince me. So, somehow it took me an entire week to buy a box of Rice Krispies, and then it was time. Last night became ranger cookie night. Today, the cookies belong to Matty. He has officially sailed back to his childhood on the wings of oatmeal goodness.

Here's what I have to say about these cookies. They are, first of all, really delicious. They are also insanely easy to make. There's this strange abundance of 1- and 2-cup amounts in the recipe, which makes it even quicker. Plus, they have this overnight trick of turning chewy but also crispy as they wait for you to come back and retrieve them from their tupperware the next day. They are oatmeal-y, and also sort of butterscotch-y. Some folks add cornflakes, coconut, or other silly stuff, but I like to keep it simple.

Ranger Cookies
Forest ranger? Park ranger? Ranger Rick? Who knows?

2 C AP flour
2 C oats
2 C Rice Krispies
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 C white sugar
1 C brown sugar
1 C butter, softened
2 eggs
1 t vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
In a big bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
With a wooden spoon, mix dry ingredients into butter mixture.
Yep, you're already done!
Roll tablespoonfuls into balls and place on parchment-lined cookie sheets.
Using a small, flat-bottomed glass, dip into sugar, and press down to flatten each cookie.
Bake at 350 F for about 11 minutes per tray, or until brown around the edges.
Cool for a few minutes on cookie sheets and then remove to cool completely. Makes about 50 cookies.
Now go find some Girl Scouts and give 'em some cookies so you don't end up eating all of them yourself!

One last note:
For those of you who have heard about my attendance at Sausage Academy today, I will indeed confirm at this time that yes, I did attend ye old sausage school, and it was amazing. Delicious, porky details to come.