RECIPES: Mystery Ranch Trail Cookies

This is a great master cookie recipe with an emphasis on packing in lots of nutrition and flavor. These cookies are perfect for long hikes or road trips. The flexible recipe means we can use what is at hand without going to the market, and change up the flavor and texture profiles so they are a bit different every time, but always a successful and satisfying treat.

Ingredients:
1 cup fat — Butter, coconut oil, Earth Balance, etc. (You can mix this up with up to 50% fruit mash, like applesauce, pumpkin puree, persimmon, marmalade, etc.)
1 cup brown sugar (or other sugar, or 3/4 cup honey)
2 eggs (or 2 Tablespoons ground flax meal mixed with 6 Tb hot water and rested 5 min.)
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract (or equal amount of spiced rum, bourbon, hazelnut or orange liqueur, etc.)

2 cups flour (all-purpose or whole wheat, can use up to 20% alternative flour like buckwheat, acorn, etc.)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoons of spices (optional, such as cinnamon alone or with clove, chai spice, nutmeg, black pepper, allspice, grated citrus peel, etc.)

1 and 1/2 cup rolled oats
2 to 2 and 1/2 cups fruit, nut, dark chocolate mix (try chips or chopped chocolate, dried or fresh fruit chopped fine, a variety of chopped nuts and/or seeds)

Procedure:
Step one: Prep for baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Step two: Mix the wet ingredients. Beat together the first four ingredients until well incorporated.
Step three: Mix the powdered dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the second five ingredients.
Step four: Mix the dry ingredients into the wet from steps two and three.
Step five: Mix up the bits and bobs. In the empty dry ingredient bowl, mix the nuts, chocolate and oats.
Step six: MIx the bits and bobs into the cookie dough.

Optional step: let rest in the fridge up to a half hour if it is a warm day.

Step seven: Scoop dough with a tablespoon onto the baking sheet, leaving a couple inches between cookies.
Step eight: Bake in 350 degree oven for 12 to 17 minutes.
Step nine: Take out of oven and let rest on pan one minute, then transfer to cookie rack to cool.
Step ten: Eat warm cookies and store the rest.

Makes about 30 cookies or so, and they should keep at room temperature for at least a week in a sealed container.
For softer cookies, use more oil or fruit mash instead of solid fat, and less cooking time.
For crispier cookies, use hard fat and solid sugar (not honey), and a longer cooking time.