Cowboy Cookies Revisited

Growing up in the pre-zillion number of television channels and growing number of media broadcasting options era, I used to love watching westerns and western genre television shows. Of course, this would have been back in the black and white versus technicolor days aka the dark ages. From Big Valley to Bonanza to The Virginian to Rawhide, along with a smattering of others (and oh let's not forget Little House on the Prairie), I was completely mesmerized by the good versus evil western frontier stories. Today, my affinity for westerns is no longer satisfied watching only reruns from the 50s, 60s and 70s. In recent years, shows like Deadwood and Hell on Wheels, where the lines between good and evil have been blurred, have become some of my favorite guilty television watching pleasures. And whenever a new 'western' or period movie opens, I wouldn't exactly say I am the first in line to see it, but am definitely in the audience in the opening weekend. No longer are the story and characters the only focus of my attention. Now I am equally attentive to the cinematography, period clothing, and especially the set decoration. Although I am not big on watching the same movie again and again, films like "The Hateful Eight" and "The Revenant" are amongst the exceptions. In revisiting both old and new television shows and movies, my takeaways from them continue to evolve. Affirming my belief that 'old' eyes can continue to see and experience things differently. As Marcel Proust once wrote "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes".

Recently I came across another recipe for Cowboy Cookies, one made with toasted pecans, oatmeal, chocolate, cinnamon, and, yes, even coconut. It made me wonder if they would be as good as, or even better than, the Cowboy Cookies posted to the blog almost three years ago. Which, based on the relative short life of this blog, is a lifetime ago. I could speculate, even make an educated guess about them, based on what I think I know about cookies and cookie batter. Or I could make them. There was only one way to know for certain.

Unfortunately this incredibly delicious Cowboy Cookie doesn't have a rich, verifiable history to go along with it. How it got its' name is anyone's guess although two theories have been floating out there. Because of course everything we read on the internet is true (ha!). So keep these disclaimers in mind. The first theory was based on the belief the cookies were hardy enough to survive the journey out west. While the second one attributes their creation by some inventive Texas cowboys. Both sound plausible. If you happen to be from Texas, you might be tempted to be believe the later. This adapted version of the cookie can actually be attributed to a recipe Laura Bush shared during the Bush-Gore presidential campaign way back in 2000. Men ran for the presidency, their wives competed with cookie recipes. For the record, Laura Bush's cookie reigned over Tipper Gore's gingersnap recipe.

With most every cookie recipe I come across, something compels me to make a few minor adjustments. I didn't need more than four dozen cookies to make a decision as to whether I would like or even love them, so I made some changes to the ingredient amounts. In keeping with my belief (or to be honest, the rule) nuts should always be roasted/toasted before they are added to a dough, I made that little tweak. In the past year, I made the shift from chocolate chips to chopped chocolate when making cookies. From a visual and taste standpoint, this simple shift makes a significant difference. At the moment the Dark Belgium Chocolate Bars sold at Trader Joe's are my favorite.

These cookies come together in the same way a chocolate chip cookie does. Butter is creamed before the sugars are added, followed by the eggs and vanilla, then the dry ingredients, and finishing with all of the 'good stuff'. A standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment makes your cookie making life easier, but certainly a hand mixer would work. The dry ingredients do not need to be sifted. Whisking them together in a large bowl (with a balloon whisk if you have one, not to fret if you don't) is good enough.

Two of the best reasons to chill a cookie dough before baking them is your cookies are less likely to spread as the fat in the dough takes longer to melt and the sugar in the dough gradually absorbs the liquid. As a result your finished cookies will be both 'thicker' and 'moister'. Or have a more 'bakery' finish look to them. The dough can be chilled for as little as 30 minutes, but I prefer chilling them overnight. An ice cream scoop makes the cookie assembly and baking process easier as well the size and shape of the cookies more uniform. So rather than chill the bowl of cookie dough, I chill a tightly wrapped tray of the formed balls of dough.

The dough balls remained chilled in the refrigerator while each batch of cookies are baked. This way they all enter the oven the same way.

On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, the Cowboy Cookies are baked in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 14-15 minutes. When done, they will be beautiful brown color on the top and bottom but may look a little 'unfinished' in the center. Leaving the cookies on the hot sheet pan for 2-3 minutes after you remove them from oven helps to 'finish' the cookie. Transferring them to a cooling rack helps them come to room temperature. If you are not eating them right away (but of course you have to eat at least warm cookie), they store well in a covered container or sealed cellophane bag. You could even freeze them. A good idea especially if you want to use them to make ice cream sandwiches!

So what was the verdict? Were the Cowboy Cookies Revisited as good as or better than the other Cowboy Cookie recipe? I would definitely tip my hat to this "Revisited" version as I loved the flavor and texture combination of the toasted pecans, oatmeal, chopped dark chocolate, coconut, and cinnamon. Even if your friends and family are not big fans of coconut, they might end up being fans of this crispy on the outside chewy on the inside Cowboy Cookie as the coconut doesn't overpower but rather balances the cookie's sweetness. Seriously this is one great cookie. So great, in fact, it is almost impossible to eat just one in a single sitting. This isn't just conjecture or an opinion on my part. It is a proven theory.

Sometimes you need to revisit something in order to fully appreciate it. If you haven't ever had a Cowboy Cookie or had made ones different than the recipe posted here, I would strongly encourage you to give these a try. Think of them as a heartier, more satisfying version of a chocolate chip cookie. However, if I channeled my inner Victoria Barkley I would definitely not 'beat around the bush suggesting' you make them.

Recipe
Cowboy Cookies Revisited (adapted version of Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookie recipe shared in the New York Times)
Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 cup (200g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla
11 ounces dark chocolate chopped (or 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips)
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/3 cups sweetened flaky coconut (e.g., Baker's Sweetened Coconut Flakes)
1 1/3 cups pecans, roasted and chopped (To roast the pecans, bake for 8-9 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Allow to cool before adding to the batter.)

Directions
1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy (approximately 2-3 minutes).
3. Add granulated and brown sugar and beat to combine thoroughly.
4. Beat in eggs one at a time. Then beat in vanilla.
5. On low speed mix in the dry ingredients until fully blended.
6. Using a spatula or wooden spoon stir in the chopped chocolate, chopped pecans, coconut and oatmeal.
7. Using a large ice cream scoop, form balls of dough and set on a baking tray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
9. Bake cookies for 14-15 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Rotate baking sheets halfway through the baking process.
10. Remove cookies from oven and allow to sit on cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. 
11. Cook to room temperature and store in a covered container.

Notes: I think chopped milk chocolate would also work well in these cookies. And lucky for all of us, Trader Joe's sells a large bar of Belgium Milk Chocolate, perfect for chopping and using in cookies. If you like your cookies on the crispy side, store them in the refrigerator.

White Rhododendron blooms and blossoms. 

Cowboy Cookies

With the Labor Day weekend now over (unfortunately) this week begins the first few days of school for the kids who live near me. So as the long weekend ended, I thought I would bake up a batch of cookies to have them ready to be delivered at the end of their first day. Is there anything better than homemade cookies and milk after a long day? Okay there are other options, like wine and cheese, but don't we all still get a certain euphoria from recalling (and even better re-experiencing) some of our youth? Hopefully as adults we have retained our curiosity, our creativity, and especially our hunger for sweets to nurture that inner childhood! The consumption of sweets might be one of the things that actually keeps our spirits and hearts young. This could be a theory with some merit.

Okay, back to the cookies. I wanted to bake a cookie for the kids that I have not yet sent on the platter over the stone fence. As much as I love (and they love) the chocolate chip cookies, I wanted to make something different (even though I am who one does not believe there is ever such a thing as too much of a good thing. I just wanted to make sure everyone knew my cookie making repertoire went beyond the chocolate chip cookie!).  I found the inspiration I was looking for in one of my cookbooks. It is a cookie that has many variations but, in each variation there are at least three common ingredients: chocolate chips, oatmeal and dried cranberries. Some recipes call for nuts and/or coconut, but this version of the Cowboy Cookie is my favorite. And since the kids next door aren't fond of nuts or coconut in their cookies, I thought this might be the perfect first day of school cookie. To go with a glass of milk, of course.

While I am no June Cleaver (for those you who have never seen Leave It to Beaver, June was the matriarch of a family of four), I think the image of her serving freshly baked cookies and milk to her sons after school was permanently imprinted into my memory. At the time I wondered if it was only kids on television who came from school to warm, freshly baked cookies. For those of you whose parent embodied the best of June Cleaver and Aunt Bee, you would have known this not to be true. Consider this wondering part of my sheltered childhood.

Whenever a recipe calls for brown sugar, I like to either exchange light brown sugar for dark brown sugar or use a combination of both. There is something about the depth of flavor in dark brown sugar that transforms the taste of a cookie. So in my modified version of Rebecca Rather's Cowboy Cookie recipe I use equal parts dark and light brown sugar.

I love the combination of oatmeal, chocolate and dried cherries. These ingredients create a cookie so different from chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies but yet so insanely delicious you may never make another oatmeal cookie again. You can use dried cranberries, but there is something about the taste of the dried cranberry that takes them a little over the top.

Room temperature unsalted butter and the sugars and mixed until light and fluffy followed by adding the room temperature eggs and vanilla. Once the eggs are mixed in, all of the dry ingredients are added at once. The result will be a very thick, stiff batter. I mix in the chocolate chips and dried cherries using the paddle attachment on the mixer, but you can mix them in with a wooden spoon.

If you have not yet discovered the wonderfulness of using an ice cream scoop to make your cookies, maybe this is the cookie that will convince you to get one. I used a 1 1/2 inch diameter ice cream scoop to form the cookies and was able to have 12 cookies spaced two inches apart on each cookie sheet.

The cooking time for these cookies is 10 to 14 minutes. Yes, I know that is a wide range, but mine took 14 minutes to bake in a preheated 350 degree oven although I started checking them at 12 minutes. The cookies will be a light golden brown when ready to remove from the oven.

The baked cookies should be transferred to a cooking rack. I used to not think the step of transferring cookies to a cooling rack wasn't important, but learned over time that the hot cookie sheet will continue to 'bake' the cookies resulting in a sometimes drier cookie. When cooled, these cookies are supposed to be chewy in the middle. That is part of their deliciousness. 

Recipe

Cowboy Cookies (slight adaptation of Rebecca Rather's Cowboy Cookie recipe from The Pastry Queen Christmas cookbook)

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup brown sugar (1/2 cup dark brown and 1/2 cup light brown) Note: you can use all light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

12 ounces of chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups dried cherries (could use dried cranberries)

Optional: 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (approximately 1 to 2 minutes).

3. Add eggs and vanilla and beat at medium speed for another minute.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and oatmeal. Stir to combine.

5. Add the mixed dry ingredients and beat at a lower speed until combined.

6. Stir in chocolate chips and dried cherries. The batter will be thick.

7. Using a 1 1/2 inch diameter ice cream scoop, drop the cookie dough 2 inches apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. You will get 12 cookies per sheet.

8. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until cookies are golden. 

9. Transfer baked cookies to a rack to cool.

10. Serve immediately, package as gifts, or put in a covered jar or tin to enjoy.

It feels like forever since I posted a recipe to the blog even though it has been a little more than a week. The process of posting for the blog is very different than everyday cooking and entertaining and my energies last week were spent on creating meals for my sister and brother-in-law and not on creating posts for the blog. Go figure! Although I wished I had just taken just a few photos of the Plum and Raspberry Crumble we had for dinner one night as it was crazy delicious. This will be a recipe that you will see in the weeks ahead because it was that good that I need to share it with you. And plums are in season right now.

As I was making meals this past week I realized just how much my cooking has started to change over the past year. I am beginning to be so much more influenced by the vegetables and fruits that are in season when deciding on a recipe than I am about making a recipe because I like it. I already know I am going to be heart sick when the tomato season is over. And even though I have frozen some of the blueberries I had picked at the blueberry farm, I am already missing the taste of warm off the bush fresh blueberries. So as I was browsing through one of my Canal House cookbooks, I know understood why their recipes were organized by season. What I don't understand is why it took me so long to understand all of this. But better late than never, so they say.

Butterscotch, Coconut & Oatmeal Cookies

Up until this brief weekend snow here in the Midwest, we had been having one the most exquisite fall seasons. However, I will say the contrast of trees still holding onto their jewel toned leaves and a white carpet of snow is in its' own way also a stunning aesthetic landscape. Now if there had been enough snow to be shoveled, I am not sure I would appreciate the beauty of seasons crossing over one another in early November. If there was one season I wish could last almost indefinitely, it would be the fall. And if there was one cookie that had all the autumnal vibes it would be these gorgeous, rustic looking, quite possibly contest winning Butterscotch, Coconut & Oatmeal Cookies. While I would be more than happy to eat this cookie year-round, there is something about its' flavor profile and texture that gives me all the fall feels. Maybe it's due in part to an unexplainable association between the fall and flavor of butterscotch or maybe it's how the flavor notes of butterscotch just hit differently on the palate when there is a chill in the air. 

If you have already scrolled down to look at the list of ingredients, you might be thinking 'these sound awfully similar to the Cowboy Cookies (revisited) posted on the blog'. And you would be partially right as they share many of the same ingredients, although the amounts somewhat vary. More importantly the Cowboy Cookies are made with both butterscotch and chocolate chips along with some cinnamon for a spiced depth of flavor while these Butterscotch, Coconut & Oatmeal Cookies are chocolate and cinnamon free. Additionally, this cookie uses both light and dark brown sugars rather than only light brown sugar. Could you use half butterscotch and half chocolate chips in this recipe? You could, but it significantly changes the flavor profile. And as much as I love chocolate, this cookie wants only to be butterscotch forward.

As far as cookies go, this is a pretty straight forward recipe. However, it's one where measuring the ingredients matters (I know I harp on this all of time, but for good reason!). I don't know about you but I have always struggled with measuring sweetened coconut. Do I press it down in the measuring cup like brown sugar or do I just spoon it in? What I have learned over time is that neither of those measuring options will get you the amount of coconut you need. 

Over the course of my decades long baking life, I have shifted my thinking about all-purpose flour. In other words, my flour loyalties have both changed and evolved. My all-purpose flour choices these days are either commercially available or locally sourced Organic All-purpose. So why have I turned into this flour fussytarian? Well for two significant reasons. Organic flour generally has a more complex, robust flavor (due to less processing) and has a better gluten structure (leading to more superior results in baking). Which means I am now a HUGE believer in the game changing power of organic flour.

The dough initially comes together in a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment; however, it is finished in a large bowl with either a wooden spoon or spatula. The reason for this is to prevent 'overmixing' or toughening the finished cookie. 

I used two full bags (11 ounces each) of butterscotch chips in these cookies. That amount of chips required careful mixing to fully incorporate the chips into the batter. You don't want a dough ball that's all chips. So, in the recipe below I suggest you back off the full 22 ounces and instead use about 18 ounces. Will I reduce the amount of butterscotch chips the next time I make up a batch. Maybe, maybe not. So, the choice is yours.

These cookies benefit from being chilled in the refrigerator before baking. Chill the balls of dough for as little as one hour or for up to 24 hours. The dough yields about 20-21 golf ball sized cookie balls. I used a large (2 1/4 in diameter) ice cream scoop but you can make them freestyle. Just remember you want your cookies uniformed sized, so they bake up evenly. Note: The recommended baking time is based on forming the dough into 20-21 balls of dough.

Baking time on the cookies ranges from 20-22 minutes (I was closer to the 22 minute mark). The finished cookie should be golden brown along the edges yet still slightly soft in the center. After cooling the baked cookies on the baking sheet, the finished cookie should be crispy and craggily on the outside and chewy on the inside. These two textures create the most divinely delicious, decadent cookie. It's also one that looks more like a high-end bakery cookie than a homemade one. To get that bakery finished look, I always use a large round cookie cutter or small, clear glass bowl to shape my cookies as soon as I take them out of the oven. It's a simple technique that gives you eye candy worthy, impressive looking, perfectly round cookies. And a platter of captivating looking cookies makes them beyond irresistible! 

I am pretty certain that after you take one bite of this scrumptious, mouthwatering delicious cookie, (especially if you first taste it still a bit warm) it will be akin to experiencing a drop the mic moment. These Butterscotch, Coconut & Oatmeal Cookies are the obsession in your life you didn't know you needed. Until now that is.

Recipe

Butterscotch, Coconut & Oatmeal Cookies 

Makes 20-21 bakery sized cookies

Ingredients

2 cups (260g) organic all-purpose flour (see notes)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, slightly room temperature

1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar

1/2 cup (100g) dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups (180g) old-fashioned oats

1 cup (120g) sweetened coconut

1 cup (125g) toasted walnut or pecan halves, chopped (not too fine, not too coarse)

18-22 ounces (509-622g) Butterscotch Chips (see notes)

Flaky sea salt (highly recommend Maldon)

Directions

1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for approximately 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl and add in the granulated and brown sugars. Beat for approximately 3-4 minutes or until just creamy.

2. Beat in the eggs one at time. Beat until well incorporated.

3. Beat in the vanilla.

4. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and Kosher salt. Add into the butter/sugar mixture in 3 additions.

5. Add in the oatmeal and coconut. Mix until blended.

6. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add in the butterscotch chips and nuts. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix. Mix well.

7. Using a large ice cream scoop (2 1/4' in diameter) make 20 dough balls. Place on a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.

8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

9. Place 6 balls of dough on the prepared baking sheet. Very lightly sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the edges are golden (the cookies will be set but slightly soft in the center). Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet.

10. Repeat until all of the cookies are baked.

11. Store cookies in a metal tin, wrapped in cellophane bags or nestled in glassine bakery bags. For the fresh out of the oven taste, reheat individual cookies for 12-15 seconds in the microwave on high.

Notes: (1) Highly recommend using King Arthur's Organic Flour when making these cookies. (2) I used two bags of the Nestle Butterscotch Chips. You need to mix them in well into the batter. If you don't you might end with a few cookies loaded with chips. To avoid that issue, you could use 18 ounces instead of 22 ounces. (3) You can make a half batch of these cookies by dividing all of the ingredients in half. Or you can bake up half of the cookies and freeze the remaining dough balls to bake up a later time.

Bakery Style Ranger Cookies

So much has changed in the last six weeks. And we have yet to see what changes are awaiting us in the months, even years ahead. If change is a constant, then let's not forget all of the most endearing constants we have our lives as well. Things like sitting down to read a really good book, like going out for a run or a walk, like getting or writing a handwritten card or letter, or like baking or eating homemade cookies. Especially, homemade cookies, aka, the sweetest, most satisfying little bites of comfort food on the planet. 

Unlike some other baked goods, we don't need a special occasion or a gathering to make cookies. For the most part, cookies can be made on a whim! Yet, somehow homemade cookies manage to make any day feel special. And when the cookies look like they came from bakery, well, the day seems to have an extraordinary feel to it.

If you happen to be simultaneously craving an oatmeal cookie, a peanut butter cookie, and a chocolate chip cookie, these Bakery Style Ranger Cookies will satisfy all of them! You gotta love a cookie like that! Especially a mega sized one loaded with bittersweet chocolate chips, mini milk chocolate peanut butter cups, oatmeal, and toasted walnuts!

Unlike Cowboy Cookies, Kitchen Sink Cookies, and some versions of Ranger Cookies, these cookies don't have either coconut or cereal in them. Instead mini-milk chocolate peanut butter cups or alternately peanut butter flavored chips make these cookies craveworthy.

There is only plan ahead element to these Bakery Style Ranger Cookies. All you have to do is take out your butter and eggs from the refrigerator before you head to bed for the night. 

You might think making a cookie batter having a yield of only 18 cookies isn't worth the effort. After you take a bite of these beautiful, scrumptious Bakery Style Ranger Cookies you won't think that anymore.

If you don't have 1/4 cup sized ice cream scoop to create these humungous balls of cookie dough, use a measuring cup! 

To give these cookies an over the top finish, all it takes is a light sprinkling of flaky sea salt before they go into a 350 degree (F) oven.

Baking time ranges from 16 to 18 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned on top and golden around the edges.

Most of the cookies made around here these days are packaged up and delivered to friends and neighbors. And these gorgeous, swoonworthy, insanely delicious, deeply flavorful, as big as saucers Bakery Style Ranger Cookies are perfect for gifting others just for the fun of it, to bring some cheer, and/or to say thank you. But more importantly, cookies serve as reminders that no matter what is happening in the world, they will always be of life's best, most beloved simple pleasures. Yes, they are destined to be one of the enduring constants we will always crave, treasure, and love. The world may change, but our affection for cookies won't.

Recipe
Bakery Style Ranger Cookies
Makes 18 mega-sized cookies

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (150 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup (50 g) dark brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups (151 g) old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking oats)
10 ounces (283 g) bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips (See notes)
10 ounces (283 g) mini milk chocolate peanut butter cups or peanut butter chips (See notes)
3/4 cup (96 g) walnut halves, toasted, and coarsely chopped
Flaky Sea Salt

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and kosher salt. Set aide.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the butter, brown sugars, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (approximately 4-5 minutes).
4. Add in eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated.
5. Mix in the vanilla.
6. Add in the flour, mixing just until incorporated.
7. Add in the chocolate chips, mini milk chocolate peanut butter cups, oatmeal and walnuts. Mix on low speed to combine.
8. Using a large (1/4 cup sized) ice cream scoop, scoop out dough onto a prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
9. Place 5 to 6 of the balls of dough onto one of the prepared baking sheet. Lightly sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
10. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges. Rotate the baking sheet midway through the baking process. Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
11. Eat a cookie. Then package up the remaining cookies to deliver to friends and neighbors. Note: If cookies are wrapped well and stored in a container, they will be good for up to 4 days.

Notes: (1) I used the Ghiradelli bittersweet (60% cocao) chips, but you could use semi-sweet chocolate chips or chop up 10 ounces of dark chocolate. (2) I used the milk chocolate mini peanut butter cups from Trader Joe's. But you could use also peanut butter chips. (3) To toast the walnuts, place them on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree (F) preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Let them cool before chopping and adding to the cookie batter. 

Monster Cookies - The Valentine's Version

It's been a hot minute since I wondered whether or not I should post another recipe for a cookie. Like a thick, chewy, loaded with flavors, chocolatey cookie having a bit of a whimsical holiday flair to it. But the decision seemed more like a 'no-brainer' rather than a 'labored over' one. With Valentine's Day less than a month away and Valentine's Day merchandise everywhere, I thought a recipe for Monster Cookies made with red and pink holiday milk chocolate M&Ms was one we all needed sooner rather than later. And if you happen to live in a part of the world where winter days are cold, dreary, and gray, what better way to lift your spirits than with an incredibly scrumptious, irresistible colorful cookie. A cookie that is much more than a cross between a peanut butter cookie and an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. With its' crispy edges and chewy tender center, these Monster Cookies are loaded with a myriad of flavors. Forgive me, but they are seriously, monstrously good!

Do a search for Monster Cookies and you will find many different variations for them. While all monster cookies should have the four core ingredients of peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chips and M&Ms, they often have a myriad of mix-ins. Colorful M&Ms are what give the cookies their added monster appeal. These cookies stay true to the four core ingredients, but they also include sweetened shredded coconut, mini-M&Ms (or mini chocolate chips) and butterscotch chips. The combination of all of those ingredients makes for an even thicker, chewier, delicious monstrous cookie! 

I used both regular sized milk chocolate M&Ms as well as mini milk chocolate M&Ms. If you can't find the mini-M&Ms, use mini chocolate chips. If you like an even more peanut buttery flavor use peanut butter filled M&Ms instead of the regular milk chocolate M&Ms.  Using holiday colored M&Ms certainly makes for an even more inviting, beautiful cookie, but the mere presence of even the regular colored M&Ms will still give this cookie it's 'wow' factor. 

The recipe yields 12 monster cookies! Large enough to share or the perfect size to indulge your sweet tooth!

Cookies made with peanut butter can sometimes have the tendency to spread if baked immediately after the dough is assembled. To prevent a significant spread and ensure the cookie will have some heft to it, the dough should be scooped into balls and chilled for at least 24 hours. Although you will get an even thicker cookie if you chill the dough in the refrigerator for 48 hours. Note: You bake half the cookies after 24 hours and the other half after 48 hours to decide for yourself which length of chill time you prefer.

Before baking, sprinkle the cookies with some flaky sea salt as well as press a few more M&Ms into the top of the cookies! Baking time ranges from 16-18 minutes or until the edges are golden (the center may appear to be soft). Allowing the cookie to rest on the warm baking sheet after it's removed from the oven prevents overbaking and ensures the cookies chewy texture.

To get that beautiful bakery look finish to your cookies, use a small glass bowl or large round cookie cutter to round out the edges of the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. Just as you wouldn't consider going out of the house without at least brushing your hair, rounding out the cookies gives them that same kind of finishing touch. A platter of beautifully rounded cookies will always be the one everyone gravitates towards.

There are several recipes for 'large' sized cookies on the blog using some similar ingredients. There are the Bakery Style Ranger Cookies, Cowboy Cookies, and Butterscotch, Oatmeal and Coconut Cookies, however, the ingredients as well as ingredient ratios in these cookies differ from those. Which means you need to put them on your MUST MAKE list! Other than someone having great powers of restraint, who could possibly resist a cookie made with colorful M&Ms? And, heck, who knew that the addition of M&Ms could make cookie monsters of many of us!

M&Ms have a pretty good shelf life. During the holidays, pick up some extra bags of the colorful holiday M&Ms. A gift of pink and red M&Ms filled Monster Cookies would be fun to give year-round, not just at Valentine's Day.

Recipe

Monster Cookies - The Valentine's Version

Makes 12 monster cookies

Ingredients

1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 1/4 cups (112g) old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (110g) light brown sugar

1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon (80g) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (130g) creamy peanut butter (e.g., JIF)

1 large egg, room temperature

1 large egg yolk, room temperature

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup (40g) sweetened coconut flakes

1/2 cup (85g) mini-M&Ms or mini chocolate chips

1/3 cup (57g) butterscotch chips

1/2 cup (80g) to 3/4 cup (120g) milk chocolate M&Ms (Valentine Holiday)

1/2 cup (85g) dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips (see notes)

Flaky sea salt (e.g., Maldon Sea Salt)

Directions

1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and Kosher salt. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, briefly cream the unsalted butter.

3. Add in the light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat until creamy (about 2-3 minutes).

4. Add in the peanut butter. Mix until well blended.

5. Add in the egg and egg yolk. Mix until well blended.

6. Mix in the vanilla.

7. Add in the dry ingredients. Mix until blended.

8. Add in the coconut, mini-M&Ms, butterscotch chips, Holiday M&Ms, and chocolate chips. Mix to ensure ingredients are well distributed. Remove the bowl from the mixing stand. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the dough before scooping out with a cookie/ice cream scoop. You want to make sure the dough is well blended.

9. Using a 2 1/4" inch sized cookie/ice cream scoop (I use the one made by Piazza), form 12 balls of dough (or form balls the size of large golf balls). Place on a small baking sheet. Cover well with plastic wrap and chill overnight or up to 2 days.

10. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 5 to 6 of the chilled cookies on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Note: You can and should press some additional M&Ms into the cookies before baking to ensure their colorfulness!!!

11. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes (the edges should be golden). Remove from the oven. Using a small bowl or large round cookie cutter, round out the edges of the cookies while the cookies are still warm. Let the cookies rest on baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

12. Finish baking the remaining cookie dough balls.

13. Eat the cookies warm or wrap in cellophane or glassine bags. Store at room temperature. The cookies will be fresh for 4-5 days. You can also reheat the cookie in the microwave on high for 12 seconds to give it that fresh baked warm flavor.

Notes: (1) I like using the Guittard Semi-Sweet Dark Chocolate Super Cookie Chips. (2) You can make these cookies year-round with milk chocolate M&Ms. Use the regular bag of M&Ms or the holiday bags of M&Ms. (3) I use a stainless cookie scoop made by Piazza. It is much sturdier and easier to use than the one made by OXO. (4) The cookies are chilled in order to prevent their spread and keep their height. The cookies baked after 2 days of chilling were much more 'monster' like! 

2026 is the year of Horse. Photo taken in Door County, Wisconsin.