Monster Cookies with my Little Monster!

Braeden has become my favorite underfoot helper in the kitchen. (Sorry Porsche...) He loves to help stir, mix and blend anything I let him. He also throws a fit over the things he's not allowed to do (like drive his trains on the hot stove), but he's pretty handy to have around. And I'm so grateful for the time we get to bond together, sharing food and love. Its important for kids to feel helpful, and I'm making more of an effort to find recipes he is able to help me with -- I want to do everything in my power to foster a love affair with food in him, as I have developed one. Besides, every girl loves a man that can cook! ... And someday my boy will be a man! *sniffle*

I think baking holiday cookies with mom/grandma/aunt/whomever did all the baking ranks in the top 5 of favorite childhood memories. I know they are my favorite memories... Frosting lots and lots of sugar cookie cut outs, rolling about a million Russian Tea Cakes... This year I've been branching out from my two traditional recipes into things that are more fun and more exciting and maybe a bit more complicated and hopefully they become part of my grander scheme of holiday traditions.

They are also the cookies I'll be sharing with friends and family this season! ;)

This Monster Cookie recipe comes from my favoritest food blog : thepioneerwoman.com . I have made about a dozen of her recipes since being introduced and every single one of them has been absolutely splendid! Seriously, check it out! These cookies are far from complex -- a quick and easy take on an oatmeal cookie that you can personalize to your tastes -- or what you have stashed away in your pantry!

Monster Cookies!

Ingredients:

2 sticks (1/2 Pound) Butter (salted) Softened
½ cups White Sugar
1-½ cup Brown Sugar, Packed
2 whole Large Eggs
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
½ teaspoons Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
1-½ cup Oats (either Quick Or Regular)
½ cups M & M's (more if you want!)
½ cups Pecans, Chopped (more if you want!)
¾ cups Chocolate Chips (milk Or Semi-sweet)
½ cups Peanut Butter Chips
2-¼ cups Rice Krispies

Step 1.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Step 2.
Cream butter with sugars until its all nice and fluffy. Then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add in the vanilla and mix well.

Step 3. 

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. Add to mixing bowl and mix till combined.

Step 4.

Add the good stuff! (that's all the oats and nuts and chocolate and candies .. yum!) 

Step 5.  

Add Rice Krispies at the very end, mixing them in gently/on low if you're using a mixer. Do not over mix!

Step 6.

I used a  1 tbsp cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough onto my cookie sheets. Bake until golden brown (about 11 minutes), the put them on a rack to cool.

Braeden did add some marsh mellows to a small batch I separated for him. He was adamant about adding the "smarshmellows"... I do not recommend it. They just melted and left pockets and sink holes in the cookies.. then kind of caramelized to my cookie sheet. No matter, tho, he ate them anyway!

Happy Holiday Baking!! <3