Tam's Monster Cookies

Back when I was a resident director living with the college students [you know, because I wasn't a college student at the time] I held a "Cookies with Amy" party weekly where we'd eat cookies and watch a movie or TV show or play a game. This was two part, 1. I was seducing these "grown-up" 18-year-olds to come and socialize with me thus building relationships and 2. I wanted to bake and not eat everything. I'm not sure which was the deciding factor, but they both stand equally important in my memory.

At times certain students would come to me to ask for a special cookie because their birthday was coming up or they were hungry for it or it was one their mom made. This is a mom recipe. Tam's daughter and son were both at MC when I was there, and they were counselors when I worked at camp as well.

The original recipe was for the camp batch I think. It makes enough cookies that you could drown in dough. Not that I would ever complain of such a thing because the dough is totes delicious.

This is just a basic peanut butter oatmeal cookie, make ridiculous by a plethora of candy.

A plethora.

I didn't grow up eating monster cookies. WHY, Mom, whyyyyyy? My SIL is the Monster Cookie Queen and brought them into my life on a regular basis via the younger brother. I don't have her recipe, but I suspect it is similar to this one.

Tam's Monster Cookies

-1/2 cup (1 stick) Butter

-1 cup Sugar
-1 cup Brown Sugar, packed

-1 1/2 cups Peanut Butter (the non-natural kind. I like generic PB for baking, strange but true.)

-3 Eggs

-1 tsp Vanilla (I used Vanilla Bean Paste which is why it looks all dark and weird)

-2 tsp Baking Soda

-4 1/2 cups Quick-cooking Oats

-1 1/2 cups m&m's

-3/4 cup Reese's Pieces 

-3/4 cup Chocolate Chips
**If you look at the recipe card, you'll notice I left out the Corn Syrup. I didn't have any on hand, but I didn't find that it made any difference in the final cookies. These aren't healthy in any way, shape, or form, but I believe they are gluten free if you purchase GF oats. I didn't check all the candy, but I think you could accommodate a gluten intolerance easily with this recipe. (-: 

If you're mixing by hand get ready for a forearm workout. Cream the butter, sugars, and peanut butter. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine the oats and baking soda. Mix in the oats with the wet mixture then add the candy. Drop by rounded scoop [the original directions say to make 2" balls and flatten them slightly] onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until sliiiiiiiightly brown [these cookies don't get very brown, but you want to make sure they're actually cooked and not just warm dough]. This makes about 3 dozen cookies and doubles easily for a huge crowd!

Have I told y'all about my love for baked m&m's? What is it about baking those little chocolate treats that makes them 100000% tastier than they were in original form? SO.GOOD.