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.

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.