Monster Cookies

Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Cookies. ‘Nuff said.

Monster Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening or dairy-free margarine
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4-1/2 cups rolled oats
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 ounce bag chocolate chips, or about 1-1/2 cups

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°
2. Combine the shortening, peanut butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Mix until creamy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.
4. Add the rolled oats, baking soda and salt. Mix well.
5. Finally stir in the chocolate chips.
6. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a large cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Do not overbake. Makes about 4-dozen.

Notes

1. These are my family’s favorite chocolate chip cookie. Traditionally Monster Cookies are prepared with M & M’s, but those are not dairy or casein-free, so we use semi-sweet chocolate chips instead.
2. Carob Chips or Raisins can replace the chocolate chips. Or try a combination of goodies including raisins, nuts, chocolate, carob, sunflower seeds etc.
3. Any other type of nut butter can replace the peanut butter. Try soynut butter, sun butter, almond butter, cashew butter or chocolate hazlenut butter.
4. I have used white sugar instead of brown sugar when it was all I had in the cupboard. This is slightly cheaper and the cookies still turn out good. Sucanat also makes good Monster cookies.
5. To Make Bars press the dough into a 15 by 10-inch jelly roll pan or a cookie sheet with 1-inch sides. Bake at 350º for about 20 to 25-minutes. The top of the bars may be a little moist in some places, but will continue to cook and firm up while they cool.