Monster Cookies

Adapted from a recipe in the Baked cookbook Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, these Monster Cookies, are well, monster. (Baked is the well-known bakery with locations in Charleston, SC and New York.)

Be afraid. These cookies are monsterous in size. They are downright beastly they are so big. Each drop cookie contains over 3 tablespoons of dough and is scooped out and plopped down with an ice cream scoop. Post baking, the balls of dough spread out to become a cookie larger than my palm and thicker than a finger.

With the entire recipe only containing 1/2 cup of flour, these cookies consist mainly of a lot of oatmeal and peanut butter, with some tidbit goodies like chocolate chips and Reese’s Pieces mixed in. Mmmmm. Party in my mouth.

I brought a heaping plate of these cookies to the Creative Loafing office, and they were all gone before the day was over. Even the sales rep who claims he doesn’t like peanut butter was chowing down on cookies. So, if you enjoy cookies that are both chewy and crunchy, and love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, you just might have to make these right now.

Monster Cookies

adapted from Baked

Makes about 30 cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

5 ¾ cups rolled oats

¾ cups (1 ½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1 ½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

5 large eggs

¼ tsp light corn syrup

¼ tsp vanilla extract

2 cups chunky peanut butter

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup Reese’s Pieces

In a large bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add the oats and stir until combined.

In the bowl of electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and pale in color. Add the sugars and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Do not overmix.

Scrape down bowl and add eggs one at a time, beating until smooth (about 20 seconds) and scraping down bowl after each edition. Add the corn syrup and vanilla and beat until incorporated.

Scrape down bowl and add peanut butter. Mix on low speed until just combined, add the oat mixture in three additions, mixing on low speed until just incorporated.

Use a spatula or wooden spoon and fold in the chocolate chips and Reese’s Pieces. Cover bowl tightly and refrigerate for 5 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Use ice cream scoop to scoop out dough into 3- tablespoon size balls on two baking sheets – 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time. Let cool on pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

This article appears in Mar 9-15, 2010.