THE MONSTER COOKIE...

So, I've mentioned before that I'm just not that into Halloween. I used to be. I grew up on a dead end street where everyone knew everyone. Where all the kids played together frequently and knew to be inside when the street lights came on at night. Where you knew you could eat the Halloween candy you received while trick-or-treating and not worry about eating "bad candy." Figuring out to what costume to wear was an ordeal - a fun one. I always ended up making most of my costumes because I couldn't find the perfect one... Can you tell I just might be missing those simple days?? Perhaps all of that will come back to life for me once I have kids, but for now I'll bake in honor of the day. :)

I thought that the Monster Cookie would be most appropriate. Unoriginal, yes, but I've never baked this cookie before, so I thought now would be perfect time! I picked a recipe that required the basics - pantry staple ingredients, a whisk, a wooden spoon, a large bowl, and a cookie sheet or two. And I'm glad I did! These were DELISH! To me they are like a large peanut butter oatmeal cookie that's speckled with chocolate. They are slightly crunchy on the bottom and moist in the center. I also love that this cookie is customizable. You can add nuts, raisins, coconut, and/or more of any of the main ingredients. This is definitely a cookie I will make for my kiddos to make their Halloweens even more special... ;)

Here is what you need:

3 eggs
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12 oz jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick unsalted butter, cubed and softened
1/2 cup regular sized M&Ms or 1 1/2 cups mini M&Ms
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)


Here is what to do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Whisk it well!

3. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter and butter. Mix well using a wooden spoon.

4. Stir in the M&Ms, chocolate chips, baking soda and oatmeal.

5. For larger cookies, drop two tablespoons (I used a 2 tablespoon ice cream scoop) of the dough on to the prepared cookie sheets. Space them about 3 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until browned on the edges of the cookie. Let the cookie rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a cookie rack to continue cooling. Note that the center will not appear to be done before the edges of the cookie are browned. The center will set as it cools.

For smaller cookies, drop 1 tablespoon of the dough on to the cookie sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes.

Enjoy!

Images by me