Kids in the Kitchen - Monster Cookies

Kids in the Kitchen is a new series featuring my kids in the kitchen, sometimes with me and sometimes without me.  So sometimes it will be messy and sometimes it'll be really messy.  There'll be mistakes and tears and I might even raise my voice when the canister of sugar hits the floor, but we will forge on because kitchen skills are important.

I'm fortunate to have a mom who included me in the kitchen.  I fondly remember sitting on the counter stirring yet another batch of harvest loaf batter.  Most likely we were listening to a Christmas record since harvest loaf was the gift of choice for neighbors, relatives, and teachers.  I'm sure my help made extra messes, but it also made memories and prepared me for future cooking endeavors.

Although Kids in the Kitchen can be a hassle at times, I try to look beyond the slowed productivity and mess to the day when they can use their kitchen skills to benefit our family and later themselves and their future families.

Today I'm sharing with you a super yummy cookie recipe that can double as breakfast in a real pinch.  Yes, that was a good morning.

Monster Cookies

Peter helped me bake these cookies.  The pictures aren't great, the floor's covered in flour, he licked the spoon before we were done, he ate raw dough, the m&m's spilled.  We had fun, take a look.

Peter is so happy to be helping.

We added eggs, butter, sugars and vanilla and mixed it hard.

And then added peanut butter - see how healthy these are getting?

Then we added chocolate, oatmeal and a mix of white and whole wheat flour - again healthy

We placed them on parchment paper just to keep cleanup quick.  We also made them very large (1/4 cup)

Bake for about 10 minutes (sorry for the blurry pic)

Monster Cookies
3 eggs
1/4 c. soft butter
2 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. chocolate chips (we use mini)
1 c. m&m's (we use mini)
1 1/2 c. peanut butter
2 t. baking soda dissolved in 1 t. hot water
3 c. quick oats
1 1/2 c. flour (I use a mix of white and whole wheat)

Preheat oven to 375.
Cream butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla hard.  It should be very smooth and light in color.  Stir in baking soda.  Blend in peanut butter.  Then add chips and m&m's.  Lastly, stir in oatmeal and flour.
Place on cookie sheet.  I use about 1/4 c. of dough to make large cookies.  Press down slightly.  Then bake for about 10 minutes.  If using a dark pan they will darken faster.  We like them chewy so I slightly underbake, let set on pan for 1 minute then remove to foil to cool.

Linking up with Raising Homemakers.