Monster Cookies
Continuing my way through Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, I wanted to give the Monster Cookies a try. Once I suggested it and showed him the picture, 3yo Guppy would not rest until we made the “M & M cookies.” Alas, he had a very hard time understanding the 5 hour refrigeration time, but I did eventually get these made. It uses nearly 6 cups of oats, 3 cups of sugar, 2 cups of peanut butter and 5 eggs. Monstrous, indeed.
Monster Cookies, from Baked
This cookie is the Frankenstein’s monster of the cookie world. One part oatmeal cookie, one part peanut butter cookie, and one part chocolate chip cookie, it is many things to many people. We re-created this rather large, chewy cookie as an homage to the Monster Cookies we remember eating in grade school, only our version is slightly less sweet and a whole lot better. Don’t leave out the corn syrup – it’s integral for the cookie.
Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
5 3/4 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup (6 ounces) M&M’sMethod
Baked by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add the oats and stir until the ingredients are evenly combined.2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth and pale in color. Add the sugars and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
3. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth (about 20 seconds) and scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the corn syrup and vanilla and beat until just incorporated.
4. Scrape down the bowl and add the peanut butter. Mix on low speed until just combined. Add the oat mixture in three additions, mixing on low speed until just incorporated.
5. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold in the chocolate chips and M&Ms. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for 5 hours.
6. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Use an ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to scoop out the dough in 2-tablespoon-size balls onto the prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until the cookies just begin to brown. Let cool on the pans for 8 to 10 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
I used brown rice syrup instead of corn syrup to good effect. The recipe made nearly 40 cookies, so there were plenty to share. The cookies were well received by everyone but me. I longed instead for my favorite local cookie, the Thunder Cookie from Positively 3rd Street Bakery in Duluth, which has fewer oats and no M & Ms. To each her own monster cookie, I guess.