Bush Family Cowboy Cookies are cowboy-sized loaded chocolate chip-oatmeal cookies courtesy former first lady Laura Bush.

Bush Family Cowboy Cookies

By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime

When I was growing up, one of the most fun things in school was in February when we celebrated Valentine’s Day and Lincoln’s Birthday in the  same week. I adored holidays,  as I was artistic and liked to help decorate the bulletin boards with hearts and silhouettes of the presidents and whatnot, and then there was always the cart from the PTA ladies with cupcakes and orange drink. Such fun.

Being in Southern Illinois (around St. Louis) we celebrated Lincoln in our schools as opposed to Washington, because, of course, Illinois is the Land of Lincoln, as he grew up in the area round Springfield, in the central part of the state. Later on, when the government relocated  many holidays to Mondays to give people bigger holiday  weekends, the day was renamed President’s Day and from then on, we celebrated on the same day as the rest of the nation.

And when I announced doing this little recipe get-together for President’s Day this year, someone had mentioned to me that they were surprised I was doing it.  And no, I am not oblivious to the political tensions this election has caused.

But to me, it doesn’t matter who I supported, I am not going to throw away national holidays because of disagreements, or chuck my patriotism down the drain. I wanted to do this for the kids, the way I enjoyed it when I was young. And I think  if we were all a bit more childlike and just have a cookie, maybe our nation’s soul might heal. Or not. But it doesn’t hurt to try, does it?

So for this event, I decided to do the Laura Bush Cowboy Cookies, which are huge monsters of kitchen sink chocolate chippers. The cookies are big and the dough is stiff and tough, just like a cowboy. I even broke a spatula mixing the stir-ins. Aw, who knows. Maybe the spatula was already cracked.

But historically I have not always been a big fan of W.  Time has softened my opinion of him,  but I still wouldn’t invite him for dinner. But this is not about him, it’s about the cookies. They are Laura’s cookies, and she is a known liberal who gets along swimmingly with her conservative husband. And if any of that carries over to those who eat these cookies, maybe it is just what we need.

So to be like the Oracle in the Matrix, I’d like to offer you one. Go ahead. Have a cookie. I promise that by the time you’re done eating it, you’ll feel right as rain. Oh if life were that simple.

Maybe it is just that simple. Enjoy the recipe and have a lovely day.

~Sue

Happy #President’s Day
We are sharing recipes that honor our past presidents and their birthdays.

• Bush Family Cowboy Cookies from Palatable Pastime
• Country Sausage from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Extra Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• President Nixon’s Secret Meatloaf Recipe from Frugal Pantry
• Presidential Blueberry Bundt Cake from Cooking with Carlee
• President’s Day Cherry Almond Squares from Family Around the Table
• Washington’s Cherry Breakfast Cobbler from The Tip Garden