Monster Cookies

I'm not quite sure why these are called monster cookies, because I don't make them monster-sized.  I could, I suppose.  My friend Karlin gave me the recipe about a hundred years ago, so maybe Karlin made them monster-sized.  

I do have a scoop that could make them monster sized.  I just can't bring myself to use it.  When you do that, pretty soon you believe normal sized cookies are the size of your hands.  Only in Disneyland is that true. 

  
Maybe they're called monster cookies because you could eat a scary number of them in one sitting.  They are THAT good.  And though they can't be called healthy....the butter and sugars kind of negate that....

They do contain more than four cups of oats, and no flour at all.  That's a monstrous amount of oats.  Oats are a whole grain, don't you know?

And as I've established numerous times on this blog, they also contain peanut butter and peanut butter is a great source of protein.  Clearly these verge on health food.  Except maybe this part...

And I suppose this part isn't really healthy either....

My mixer whines a little at the end when I add the M&Ms and chocolate chips.  Maybe because the dough is monstrously heavy by the time you add all the ingredients?

As a total aside, if you don't have a scraper blade for your KitchenAid, you really must get one.  It sounds horrible as it squeals and scrapes the bowl, but it does scrape the bowl. 

Maybe they're called monster cookies because they make a really, really BIG batch of cookies?

  
Or maybe monster cookies, because you could make them a scary number of times and never get tired of them?  

I suppose you could call them angel cookies, or pixie cookies, or fairy cookies.  M&M cookies?   

Or, you could just call them good.  We do.  Try them, and I think you'll agree.  They're horrifically addicting.

Monster Cookies
Makes about 4-5 dozen, depending on size

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1.5 cups peanut butter
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4.5 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup M&Ms
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixer, beat butter and both sugars until well incorporated.  Add eggs, one at a time, until well mixed.  Add in vanilla, then peanut butter, mixing until creamy.  Sprinkle in baking soda and salt, then slowly add oats.  When oats are evenly distributed in batter, add in M&Ms and chocolate chips.  Scoop out onto cookie sheets in rough balls--I use a cookie scooper.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Cool, then enjoy!