Monster Cookies

Halloween is so awesome.

I have loved it ever since I was a kid.  I don't know why...spooky stuff, it's awesome!  Sure Christmas is the obvious winner in the holiday favorites game, but Halloween...gosh it's close.  Candy, spookiness, staying up late, tricks, costumes...scary movies of COURSE.  Love it.

Frankenberry was even my favorite cereal!  If any of you out there were 80's kids maybe you recognize this cereal: 

It was basically neon pink cardboard flakes with strawberry crack-mallows, and I'm not sure how it ever passed as "part of a balanced breakfast"...in my opinion it's up there with that whole "the greatest trick the devil ever played convincing the world he didn't exist" thing.  

Anyway my point is...monsters.

I got this recipe from Baked, a book purchased for me by my beautiful, talented, gorgeous, sweet, hilarious, wonderful friend Amanda.

These cookies are cobbled together out of a bunch of different odds and ends in much the same style as Frankenstein's monster was.  It's like an oatmeal, peanut butter, and chocolate chip cookie formed some sort of unholy trinity and waged jihad on my hips/thighs.  In a good way.  Right?

The point is they're great.  Next time I make them I'm going to throw in Reeses Pieces instead of M&M's because their only fault is that maybe they're a little chocolate-heavy.  If you can even conceive of such a thing.  

Monster Cookies

(from Baked)

1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking soda

Pinch salt

5 3/4 cups oatmeal (regular old fashioned oats)

3/4 cup (1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cubed

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar

5 eggs

1/4 tsp light corn syrup

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups creamy peanut butter

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup M&M's (or maybe Reeses Pieces?)

In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, oatmeal.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth and pale.  Add the sugars and beat on low until just incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs one at a time, beating 20 seconds each.  Then add the vanilla and corn syrup, beating until incorporated.  Scrape down the bowl.  Add the peanut butter on low until combined.  

Stir in the oat mixture in 3 batches, just until the flour disappears.  Finally, fold in the chocolate chips and M&M's using a wooden spoon.  Cover the dough and refrigerate 5 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 and line baking sheets with parchment.  Using a scoop, form 2 Tbsp sized balls of dough and place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.  Bake in the center rack about 12-15 minutes or until starting to brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool on sheets 10 more minutes before removing to wire rack.  Store in airtight container.