Smuggled goods

I like to bake cookies and other assorted treats at least once a week. I actually think I like the making and baking better than the eating, but that's beside the point. Since moving to Mexico it has been a little more of a challenge to make our favorite treat recipes though since I cannot find a lot of the key ingredients needed to make them.

Of course there are some ingredients they DO have, but they are just not the same. Like brown sugar, a key ingredient in any cookie recipe. I looked high and low for brown sugar around here. In Mexico the brown sugar is more like raw sugar. It doesn't pack nicely into your measuring cups and it has a much stronger sugar smell. I have bought it, but I haven't tried baking with it yet. So...what is this cookie loving family to do? Smuggle in the brown sugar from the states of course.

When my mom visited in November I made a list of grocery items I needed her to bring. Had customs checked her bags I'm not sure if I would have gotten any of it, but they didn't so I did. I asked for fruit snacks for the kids, lipton onion soup mix, bags of mini marshmallows, Nestle butterscotch chips and of course, brown sugar. 

Other ingredients I've had a hard time finding? Jell-O pudding, cool whip, graham crackers, almond bark for chocolate dipping, sweetened shredded coconut, caramels, canned pumpkin, and Chex cereal.

The good news is that we have had a lot of visitors, so we've had some fresh supplies every month or so. Plus we took an unexpected trip back to the States in December so I loaded up then too since we could bring a total of 10 suitcases baby!

Anyway, I was making Patrick's favorite cookie the other day since I had {{all}} the ingredients on hand. Can you spot the smuggled goods?

His favorite cookies are called Ranger Cookies. We first had them in college from my roommate Sara. I'm not sure if this is the same recipe as hers, but I thought I'd share it.

Ranger Cookies

1/2 C. butter (softened)

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 C. flour

1 C. Rice Krispies

1 C. rolled oats

1 1/3 C. sweetened shredded coconut

Beat together butter, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda til combined. Add in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour. Stir in cereal, oats and coconut.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 375 about 8-10 minutes or till egdes are golden.