MONSTER COOKIES

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

THE ORIGINAL MONSTER COOKIE WAS CREATED BACK IN 1971 BY A MAN WHO JUST might be America’s Ultimate Dad. Meet Dick Wesley—University of Michigan photographer, father of six, inventive Cub Scout leader who regularly baked peanut butter cookies to feed the juvenile masses (knock it off, Dick, you’re making us all look lazy). During one baking session, he found himself out of flour, but improvised wildly using oatmeal and other odds and ends from his cabinets, and the flourless Monster Cookie was born.

Due to high demand, the yield grew and grew to include such modest portions as 12 eggs and 18 cups of oatmeal. Dick burned out two electric mixers making his famous cookies, and eventually switched to an electric drill, which he craftily fitted with a beater attachment. (Because of course he did.) The cookies became so well known, the Lansing State Journal ran a feature on Dick’s recipe with the amazing headline “Local Man Doesn’t Skimp—Monster Cookies a Real Challenge.” Legend.

My scaled-down Monster Cookie recipe plays up the peanut butter with Reese’s Pieces candy instead of the usual M&M’s. I should also note I use a regular electric mixer without the aid of other power tools because, let’s face it, we’re all a lot more uninteresting than Dick Wesley.

10 tablespoons/140 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup/225 g dark brown sugar

1 cup/200 g granulated sugar

2 teaspoons light corn syrup or mild clover honey*

1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1⅓ cups/340 g creamy peanut butter, such as Skippy brand

4½ cups/450 g old-fashioned rolled oats

6 tablespoons/48 g unbleached all-purpose flour

2¼ teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup/225 g Reese’s Pieces candy

1 cup/170 g semisweet chocolate chips

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the melted butter, brown and granulated sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla. Beat just until thick and smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. Reduce the mixer speed to low and stir in the peanut butter. Add the oats, flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed until well blended. Stir in the Reese’s pieces and chocolate chips.

Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight—the oats will soften and swell a bit during this rest, so it’s important to not skimp on the resting time.

Position racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat it to 350°F/180°C. Line two 12 × 17-inch/30 × 43 cm baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a small scoop or 2 spoons to portion the dough into balls (about 3 tablespoons each) and place them about 2½ inches/6.4 cm apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake just until the edges are set and golden, 12 minutes tops. Set the pans on wire racks and allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for about 10 minutes before transferring them to the racks to cool completely. Repeat the shaping and baking process with the remaining dough. Store for up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

*If you go with honey, you may get a little more browning than with corn syrup, so keep an eye on the cookies to prevent burned bits.