I have been trying hard to stay connected in these crazy times. I think we are all doing our best to stay connected and keep each other going. I think if we all use our strengths and loves to keep each other going we all will be able to come together and offer others enough to keep going. My mom is making masks as she is great at sewing and crafting. My mother in law keeps bringing us the most amazing Italian bread as she is perfecting her recipe. We love to be the taste testers. I have friends and family who have brought us gifts and toys for the girls, because lets face it, all of the old toys we have played and played with. We have family and friends that are hosting Zoom calls to keep us all connected. I cook, that is what I do. That has been my passion for as long as I can remember. I have even made a living out of it. I cook to calm myself, I cook to get excited, I cook to learn and I cook to teach. The biggest reason I cook though is that I love making people smile with food. So, that is what I have been doing during these crazy times. I have been trying to make sweet treats and spread them to my family and friends and give them some extra joy through all of this.
Today, it was rainy and gloomy and a perfect day for a cookie delivery!! The girls and I made two different types of cookies. We actually made a really bad batch of cookies the day before, which was like a blooper reel! Yes, even chefs make bad things and have bad cooking days! I was so focused on having them help me with it all and getting them involved, that I made cookies without adding in the dry ingredients!!
So, I was completely over it and decided to start again today!! Which is exactly what we did!! We used this rainy, gloomy day and made some sweet treats to bring smiles and sunshine! We made chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips and we made monster cookies!! The chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips are rich and decadent and I used Mexican vanilla in them which really added a hmmm factor that is amazing! You can totally make them with regular vanilla extract and they are still amazing. Yet, if you have it or can get it, Mexican vanilla will make them over the top.
Now for Monster cookies… what are monster cookies? Well, basically they are peanut butter cookies with oats, chocolate chips and M&M’s. I mean how can that be bad? Those are all yummy things rolled into one. I used chocolate chunks, which I am kind of obsessed with over regular chocolate chips, because why not add more chocolate, right?
Here are a couple of tips for making these cookies that will help make it quick and easy! Don’t forget to share the love with your family and friends! I hope you all enjoy them as much as we all did! Remember to keep doing what you love to help keep us all going in these difficult times. Stay strong, we are all in this together.
Chef’s Tips for the Chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips- If you have it, use Mexican vanilla in the chocolate cookies, it helps bring a depth of flavor. Use good quality peanut butter chips. If you use a cookie scoop, you will get all the same size cookies. Also, about half way through baking, almost all of my chip cookies, I use a measuring cup to lightly press them down. This helps them bake evenly and come out the same shape and size.Â
Chef’s Tip for the Monster cookies-Let the dough chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes prior to scooping them and baking them. Again, use a scoop to get the same size, but then roll these into a ball before you put them on the baking sheet. This is a slightly dryer dough, so that will help them stay together when cooking and cook evenly. Press them half way through and take them out when they are slightly under. This will keep them soft and chewy versus too crumbly.
Chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt I always use Kosher salt
- 2 1/2 sticks butter unsalted, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract I used Mexican vanilla, but you do not have to
- 10 oz peanut butter chips 1 bag
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set this aside for now.
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer cream the softened butter and the sugar. Cream until the butter has lightened and the sugar is less gritty. Add the eggs in one at a time and mix fully after each addition. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula in between. Add in the vanilla and blend for another minute.
- Using your rubber spatula, mix in the flour/cocoa mixture until almost everything is mixed together. Add in the peanut butter chips and continue to mix until everything is well combined and no more flour is showing. This is a thick batter, so make sure everything is well incorporated, but do not over mix.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop out cookies onto a non-stick baking pan. If not using a non-stick baking pan, grease the pan and/or uses parchment paper on the bottom of the pan. The scoop I used made 30 cookies. You will yield between 30-36 cookies from this batter depending on size.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are done on the top, but not over baked. Half way through, I recommend that you lightly press them down with the back of a measuring cup. This will help ensure even baking and even sizing in the finished product.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for 1-2 minutes. Move them to a cooling rack and let them cool completely. Plate up and/or pack them to go and Enjoy!
Monster cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks salted butter softened to room temperature*
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup quick oats*
- 3/4 cup M&Ms
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F . Line baking sheet with parchment paper or grease or use non-stick pan.
- In a small bowl, mix together the baking soda, salt and flour. Set aside until after the wet ingredients are mixed.
- In a large bowl, using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together until the butter is pale and the sugar is less gritty. Mix in the peanut butter, eggs, one at a time and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula.
- Fold in the quick oats, M&Ms, and chocolate chunks just until incorporated. Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes before scooping the cookies.
- Scoop out the dough and rolls balls of dough, about 2 Tablespoons of dough per ball, put them onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies still look a little soft, but are cooked. Slightly press down the baked cookies with the back of a measuring cup half way through baking. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will firm up as they cool, but should still be soft.
- Enjoy!!
