A brief overview of our visit to Vicksburg National Military Park as part of the "Make a Natural Difference" campaign for The J.M. Smucker Company. Plus, a delicious cookie recipe to take along with you to your next outdoor adventure!
I have cookies for you today! These cookies are the best, especially if you love the sweet and salty mix...and a little *crunch!* here and there! But, before we get to these cookies, let's talk about our recent family visit to a local national park.
It's been a hot couple of months! But, that hasn't stopped us! About two weeks ago, we headed to a local national park to check it out for the first time. It's the Vicksburg National Military Park which commemorates the Battle of Vicksburg and preserves its site. Since the high temperatures were pretty unbearable that day, we chose to drive the tour road and made stops along the way.
Judah was extremely excited to spot out cannons all along the way. We jumped out of the van a few times to check out some of the cannons up close, and then hear a tour guide talk a little about the history. It was beautiful scenery, yet humbling when you started envisioning the soldiers trekking through the hills and trees, others camped out low and shooting their cannons. Such a perspective!
We stopped into the Illinois State Memorial to walk the 47 steps (one counted for each day of the battle). Not only was this also a breathtaking view, but inside, the kids were encouraged to run around and make noise in the hollowed dome. The volunteer worker there, a sweet elderly lady, told us a "secret" that when you jump right in the middle, the noise sounds like thunder. So, of course, the boys were jumping up and down... even daddy!
About halfway through the tour road is a restored gunboat, the USS Cairo. Of course, we had to park and take some time walking around the boat and also played a little bit. The gift shop is located here, too. We bought fake Civil War paper money as a souvenir to take home to the neighbor boys across the street who LOVE visiting this park. Judah called it "soldier money".
You can see Judah was zonked out after this fun morning trip to the park! Have you visited your local national parks lately? If you remember, a couple of weeks ago I announced that I teamed up with Smucker’s® Natural Peanut Butter and the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) to help spread awareness about the importance of protecting and enhancing America's national parks. Just visiting is a way to support them and make a natural difference! Plus, you get to have fun with your family!
Through this partnership, Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter is encouraging you to Make a Natural Difference and giving you the chance to win (until October 8, 2014) a Sony Digital SLR camera and 18-135mm lens, along with a carrying case, Shutterfly gift cards and jars of natural peanut butter. Click here for more information on how to enter this giveaway.
I also hosted a giveaway of my own, sponsored by The J.M. Smucker Company, that has now ended. The winner has been chosen: Congratulations to entry #97, Terri W.! Please check your email to claim your prize!
Now as far as these cookies go, I created these with an outdoor adventure in mind. Something about having all of the fun ingredients like pecans, pretzels, chocolate chips and butterscotch chips got me thinking about hiking and mountain trails. Maybe it's because when you hike, you tend to pick up a lot of little things along the way. Especially as a kid, you pick them up and just treasure them!
That's how I feel about these cookies! Pieces of treasures picked up along the way and tossed into a cookie dough. There's crunch and chewiness, much like you have a crunch from some steps on your hike and other steps are soft (or "chewy!" haha!).
You will love these cookies, I just know it!
Recipe Card
Mountain Trail Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter , at room temperature
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup broken pretzel twists
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, chopped pecans and pretzel pieces.
- Using a medium sized cookie scoop, drop dough balls onto a lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating pans halfway through for even baking. Remove pans from the oven and let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Linda G. says
These cookies are fabulous—but 10 minutes prep time—get real. I am a pretty fast baker and it takes more like 30 minutes prep time—unless you have a helper! Well worth it though.
Nikki Gladd says
Hi Linda, I'm glad you like the cookies! I'm sorry the prep time was not what you experienced. The 10 minutes reflects how long it takes to complete the steps in the instructions, assuming the ingredients are already found and measured. Hope this helps! 🙂 Thanks for your feedback!
Anna says
I used peanut butter chips instead of butterscotch and added an extra pretzel piece on top of each cookie. I brought them to work and everybody loved them!
Nikki Gladd says
That sounds so delicious, Anna! Thank you for sharing!
Mariam says
I made these because a friend brought them over and they were DELICIOUS. I followed the recipe perfectly and unfortunately my batter was super dry and crumbly. When I asked him how his was he told me he had to add milk to his and he froze it for a while. I tried everything aside from the milk....refrigerated for a while, balled the dough in my hands rather than dropping (b/c it was too crumbly to drop), lightly pressed the balls down with a fork to encourage them to flatten out just a bit. I ended up with delicious tasting very unfortunately looking crumbly masses. Did nobody else have this problem?
Nikki Gladd says
Hi Mariam, I'm so sorry you had this problem! Since you had a dry and crumbly mixture, I'm going to guess that maybe you had too many "fillers" -- like the pretzels, pecans, butterscotch chips, etc. The measurements for the pretzels and pecans can be especially tricky because my "chopped pretzels" (or pecans) might be a bigger chop than someone else might chop. If chopped too small, it will take more to create a 1/2 cup, which might make too much filler, creating a dry batter. That is my guess, but I could be wrong. 🙂 For your next attempt, gradually add those ingredients at the end and stop before the mixture gets too crumbly. Hope this helps! -Nikki
Mariam says
Good thinking! I'd never thought of that. Thank you and I'll try again!
Barbara long says
Hi these cookies look so yummy but can I substitute something for the peanut butter as I just don't like peanut butter. Thanks.
Jessie Sim says
do you know what the carb content is in each cookie
Nikki Gladd says
Hi Jessie, I do not. Sorry!
Mary Jane says
Well, Nikki, you did it again! As soon as I saw your gorgeous pictures of these yummy cookies, I knew I had to give the recipe a try. We didn't have the nuts or butterscotch chips, so I substituted some m & ms and extra pretzels. Oh boy! They were sooooo good! Taking some to a picnic with friends today. I'm sure we'll get rave reviews. Thanks again!
Nikki Gladd says
Thank Mary Jane! So glad you loved them even with the substitutes! 🙂
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says
What a fun trip. Gotta love any time the kids pass out in the backseat. I love bringing cookies along on a road trip, definitely help pass the time!
naomi says
The cookies are great, and the pictures -- LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. Your boys are so cute. The sleeping picture-epic!
Amy @Very Culinary says
Lol. Oh, that picture of Judah in the car. I crack up at how kids can sleep like that! My father is a nature photographer, so no surprise that when I was a kid, all of our family vacations revolved around National Parks. I have THE BEST memories and stories. Although, I don't ever remember my mom bringing along awesome cookies like these!
Shawn @ I Wash You Dry says
Love all the yummies tucked into these gorgeous cookies!! 🙂
ashley - baker by nature says
These cookies look EPIC!!! <3