Sending a Care Package of Deliciousness

Something we've learned through being "sheltered in place" is that we LOVE mail and we love packages. Sure email and texts are fun, but getting real mail? So we've worked hard to make sure people in our lives get fun mail too. We decided our family in Iowa needed a little love. The kids had made them perler bead magnets and drew pictures, but it was time for something even better - cookies! We opted for Monster cookies because well, they sounded delicious, and they are delicious. I was mean and mixed up the dough by myself but let them be the official M&M putter onners. They also licked the bowl, the spoon, ate some dough, ate a few M&Ms and taste tested the cookies too. These will be a real winner... good thing I dropped them off early at the post office this morning before I had a chance to rip open the box and eat a few more!

Monster Cookies
1/2 cup butter softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 cup M&M's plus more for tops of cookies
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips plus more for tops of cookies

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Line a sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper or silicon baking mat.
Place the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Beat until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
Add the egg, peanut butter and vanilla to the bowl and mix until combined.
Add the flour and baking soda to the bowl and mix until just combined. Stir in the oats.
Add the M&M's and chocolate chips to the bowl and gently fold them into the dough.
Make 2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet pan. You will need to bake the cookies in batches.
Press a few M&M's and chocolate chips onto the top of each cookie dough ball.
Bake for 11-13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
Cool the cookies on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Repeat the process with the remaining cookie dough. Cool all cookies completely then serve.
Store any leftover cookies in a sealed container for up to 5 days, or you can freeze the cookies for up to 2 months.