One of my 2018 resolutions is to make more cookies. Not healthy cookies or breakfast cookies–but really good cookies. Cookies have never been my specialty because I just don’t like eating them that much. Which means I’ve never been interested in perfecting any cookie…
But when I met Colin almost six years ago, I started to understand the importance of cookies in some people’s lives. My husband LOVES cookies. He says almost once a week, “I’m craving chocolate chip cookies.” And when we were first dating, he was obsessed with a cookie they sold at a local coffee shop. It was a big cookie, with everything in it, including multi-colored M&Ms. So when he brought a bag of random M&Ms home the other night, I was immediately reminded of the coffee shop cookie and decided to create my very own version.
But before I got to making the perfect monster cookie, I knew I needed to do more research. I’ve made a few kinds of cookies over the past few weeks, and Colin has been very happy. I’ve made Magnolia Bakery’s classic peanut butter cookies, Sarah Kieffer’s pan-banging chocolate chip cookies and Martha Stewart’s classic oatmeal lace cookies.
After the research phase ended, I started in on the best monster cookie recipe. This monster cookie includes all of the ingredients in the above mentioned cookies–peanut butter, chocolate chunks, rolled oats plus the addition of rainbow sprinkles because they make me happy. This recipe also calls for pan-banging because I love Sarah Kieffer’s method for those chewy/crispy edges–and the crinkles are so pretty!
On a chocolate note, I’ve learned some crucial lessons when it comes to type and shape of chocolate in cookies. I’m vehemently against chocolate chips. They don’t melt and they taste waxy no matter what brand I buy. My go to is dark chocolate in bar form (at least 70%) and I chop it into big chunks and shards. If I have to buy bagged chunks, I buy Scharffen Berger chocolate chunks, which can be found at Whole Foods or other specialty stores. I also really like Trader Joe’s baking chocolate.
And last is the most important cookie ingredient–salt. I think every cookie needs a good sprinkling of flaky Maldon sea salt on top. For me, this is the ingredient that makes me come back for another…and another.
So here’s the biggest, baddest and best Monster Cookie recipe for that special cookie monster in your life. Good luck making these only once.
Monster Cookies
(makes around 2 dozen cookies)
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
½ pound unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
1 egg at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup M&Ms
1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles
1 cup Scharffen Berger chocolate chunks or dark chocolate chopped into coarse pieces, bits and shards
To Top Cookies Before Baking
Maldon Sea salt
1/4 cup M&Ms
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment or foil. Set aside.
Combine flour, oats, baking soda, salt in a small bowl. Whisk and set aside.
Cream butter in stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Add sugars and cream for 3-5 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter and cream another minute.
Add egg and vanilla. Mix to combine and stop once to scrape down the sides.
Remove bowl from mixer, add dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until no flour remains. Add sprinkles, M&Ms and chocolate chunks. Fold in mix-ins well.
Scoop cookie dough with 3/4 inch scooper or tablespoon (if you don’t have scooper). I like to overfill my cookie scooper a bit to make these cookies a little bigger (they’re around 2 1/2 inches in diameter once baked). 3 cookies in each row works for me, 12 cookies per sheet pan.
Once scooped, add one or two M&M’s to the top of each cookie. Sprinkle with Maldon flaky salt.
Place cookie sheet in freezer for 15 minutes.
Bake first for 8 minutes. Open oven and bang pan firmly against the rack so the cookies deflate. Bake for 2 more minutes and repeat 3 times, baking cookies for a total of 14 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cookies sit one minute before transferring to rack.
