Milk/Cream

Grandma's Ranger Cookies

December 10, 2014
0
0 Ratings
  • Makes 3-4 dozen
Author Notes

Throughout my childhood, my grandma had a seemingly endless supply of these cookies. Every summer my family made our annual road trip up north to visit, and the moment our car pulled in the driveway after 5½ hours of being trapped in the backseat with my little brother, fighting as kids do (“But Mom, he’s looking at me!”), crossing each other’s invisible line drawn across the backseat, and fighting over who got the pillow (we never thought to pack two), we would scramble out of the car, suddenly best of friends, and make a beeline for that cookie jar.

According to her handwritten recipe for these, they were simply called “Cookies (Rice Krispies),” but years later I learned that they are called Ranger Cookies. No one seems to know what that name means or where it came from, but some theories indicate that they were named for the Texas Rangers or even the Lone Ranger. My grandparents lived on the Iron Range of Minnesota, so in my family, Ranger means home…history…family. —Diane Fluin

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 cup margarine (2 sticks)
  • 1 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3-1/2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup crushed walnuts
  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 cup Rice Krispies
Directions
  1. Cream margarine, oil and sugars.
  2. Add egg and vanilla and beat well.
  3. Sift in flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt.
  4. Add nuts, oats and Rice Krispies. Mix well.
  5. Drop by tablespoon onto lightly greased baking sheets. Roll each into a loose ball, and press down gently with a fork.
  6. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

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