Monster Cookies

One of the wonderful things about growing up in the Midwest was the presence of monster cookies in my life.  I grew up loving them.  I am a big chocolate-peanut butter fan, but throw in some oats and M&Ms and I couldn't be happier.  My high school cafeteria sold freshly baked monster cookies, packaged up in pairs.  I often splurged and bought them when word got out that they had warm ones for sale up at the counter.  

You can imagine my shock and dismay when I discovered that my husband  (who did not grow up in the Midwest) had never heard of these favorite cookies of mine.  These are probably the cookies I bake the most, so I am working hard to make up for all the years he lived without monster cookies in his life.  

Although I have seen monster cookie recipes that contain some flour, this particular recipe does not.  The result is a chewy cookie packed full of peanut butter and oaty-flavor.  One thing I love about this recipe is that it makes a very large batch, perfect for freezing.  I love having some on hand in the freezer to pull out when I'm taking a meal to a new mom, need to bring cookies to an event, or just for a little dessert at home.  And one of my favorite ways to enjoy these cookies is straight from the freezer with a little ice cream sandwiched in between.

Monster Cookies
Yield: about 50-60 cookies
Note: I think the cookies with the most M&Ms on top are the most sought-after, so I press 2-3 additional M&Ms on top of each cookie before baking to make sure each one looks great.
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 oz. creamy peanut butter
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
1 cup M&Ms
1 cup chocolate chips
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars.  Mix well.  Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter and butter.  Mix until creamy and well combined.  Stir in the M&Ms, chocolate chips, baking soda and oatmeal.  Mix well.  Roll the dough into tablespoon-sized balls (or use a cookie scoop) and place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.  Flatten cookies slightly with the palm of your hand.

3. Bake for 8-12 minutes.  Do not overbake-the cookies should be just set and very lightly golden around the edges.  Let the cookies cool  for 1-2 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container for 2 days or place in freezer bags and freeze.

Source: adapted from a Paula Deen recipe on foodnetwork.com and melskitchencafe.com