Monster Cookies

Ingredients

• plain flour150 g
• rolled oats135 g
• bicarbonate soda — 1 tsp4.5 g
• salt — ¼ tsp1.5 g
• unsalted butter — cut into chunks125 g
• smooth peanut butter205 g
• egg1 ea
• vanilla extract — 1 tsp5 ml
• brown sugar200 g
• M&Ms — some reserved for topping235 g
• dark chocolate chips — some reserved for topping110 g

Method

1. Mix Dry ingredients in a bowl (with wooden spoon). Barely melt butter, finish melting by hand. Add remaining Wet, mix. Mix in Dry, adding choc chips and M&M's towards the end. Roll 18 x 3 tbsp balls (size 20 cookie scoop), bake 15 min @ 180°C/350°F (160°C fan), cool 10 min on tray then 10 min on rack before attacking!
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Line 3 trays with baking paper (parchment paper).
3. Dry ingredients - Put the Dry ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with a wooden spoon, just to combine.
4. Barely melt butter – Put the butter in a microwave proof bowl and microwave in 20 second increments on high until almost melted. Then mix with a wooden spoon to finish melting using residual heat. (Note 4)
5. Wet ingredients - To the butter bowl, add the rest of the Wet ingredients. Then mix vigorously with the wooden spoon until it's smooth.
6. Make cookie dough - Add the Dry ingredients in, then mix until most of the flour is mixed in. Then add the chocolate chips and M&M's, then mix until they are dispersed through the batter and you can no longer see flour.
7. Roll cookie balls - Roll* into 18 balls, 3 tablespoons each (4.5cm / 1.8" diameter). My method - portion all dough using size 20 cookie scoop, then roll. Place balls on three paper lined trays at least 7.5cm / 3" apart.* If dough is a bit too sticky to roll, pop in fridge for 5 min, firms up quickly.
8. Bake 2 trays for 15 minutes, switching the tray shelves at the 8 minute mark.
9. Decorate (optional) - While the cookies are still hot, press chocolate chips onto the surface (the heat will melt them enough to stick) and lightly press M&M’s halfway in, they’ll set firmly in place once the cookies cool. (Note 5).
10. Cool for 10 minutes on the tray (to finish cooking and set) then transfer to a rack and cool for another 10 minutes before attacking, these cookies are fragile when hot. (Meanwhile, bake the third tray). Fully cool before storing in an airtight container for 5 days, in a cool pantry.