Mini-Monsters

Monster Cookies seemed like a good baking project for Halloween. They're always a hit, soft and chewy and filled with sweet treats and no tricks. My recipe originally was for 12 large cookies, I prefer smaller cookies (some portion control but I think my family just eats more). I doubled the recipe and the result was about 4 dozen medium sized cookies. One dozen for our mini-monsters who came to trick or treat, two dozen in the freezer for a baked sale next week, and a dozen or so for munching.

Our mini-monsters this year were a LadyBug and Spooky Pookie. Spooky Pookie is wearing the ghost cape I made for her mother 30+ years ago. Traditions continue and LadyBug's mother crafted her shell with paper mâché. We're glad these little treaters live close!

MONSTER COOKIES                                               

1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
⅔ cup creamy peanut butter
1 ½ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salty
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick oats
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup M&Ms (save some for adding to the tops of the cookie balls before baking)

(This is a stiff dough, somewhat hard to mix the chocolate chips and M&Ms into. I used some leftover bits of trail mix - chocolate chips, shredded cocoanut, small nut pieces - for part of the chocolate chips)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the baking rack in the center position.
2. In a large mixing bowl with the paddle attachment cream the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar. Cream for about 3-5 minutes for a light cookie.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla. Mix on medium speed just until these ingredients are incorporated.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and quick oats.
5. Add these dry ingredients to the batter and mix until incorporated. Do not over mix.
6. With a rubber spatula fold in the chocolate chips and M&Ms.
7. Use a cookie scoop (large/3 Tablespoons size for big monster cookies) to form dough mounds.
8. Top each dough mound with a few more M&M's for a nice appearance after baking.
9. Bake for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven when the edges are set and the centers may look slightly underbred. They will continue to bake and set on the hot cookie sheet. Allow to cool before removing them from the cookies sheet.