Mom's Cookies

Following is a recipe for "cowboy cookies"  I have no clue where the name came from or how old this recipe is.  I grew up on these cookies and I think my mom made them weekly (well, maybe not quite that much).  She continues to make them for her grandchildren and has become known for them.  They are essentially chocolate chip cookies with oats added to the batter and her excuse for making them was that "oats make the cookies healthy"
Well, not sure if that's true, but it's a great excuse to eat more cookies!

You can do variations on these cookies as well.  Add peanut butter chips, nuts, dried cherries or cranberries and they are delicious.  However, don't add butterscotch chips- they overwhelm the chocolate and don't mix well with the oats.

Cowboy Cookies, courtesy of Renee Epplin

1 stick butter at room temperature
1/2 cup shortening (or you can skip the shortening and use 2 sticks of butter total)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

In a bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter, shortening, sugar, and brown sugar for at least 5 minutes until light and fluffy
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between additions
Add vanilla and mix
Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined- don't over mix!
Fold in oats and chocolate chips (and dried fruit and/or nuts, if using)
Refrigerate dough for 1-2 hours (you can refrigerate it overnight as well.  This helps the dough set and not spread so much in the oven)
Preheat oven to 375
Drop 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie on parchment lined baking sheets
Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned and still slightly raw in the middle
Cool on cooling racks and enjoy!