Monster Cookies

This is one of my sister's favorite cookies from college.  I love making them for Valentine's Day because the colors of the Valentines M & M's look so nice with the color of the dough.  They also look great with the standard M & M mix.

You need:
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon white corn syrup
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 stick of butter melted
1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
4 1/2 cups oatmeal ( I use half 1 minute oats and half rolled oats
1 cup M & M's

Combine all ingredients expect M & M's in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Mix until incorporated.  Stir in M & M's.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes until very light tan.  Let set on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes.

NOTE TO BAKERS:   I thought I could improve this recipe by using the traditional cookie making protocol of adding the ingredients in layers (creaming the butter and sugar, adding eggs one at a time, vanilla and then the dry ingredients).  When I tried it, the cookies came out horribly- hockey pucks.  Enjoy the ease of mixing all at once for this recipe.

EAT UP!
XO,
Jenny

Make It Monday- Vanilla Meringues

I absolutely love meringues.  They may sound and look fancy but they are incredible easy and take less than 10 minutes to make using just a few ingredients.  Also, the homemade version of this cookie is soooo much better than the store bought kind.  You will be so happy you tried them.  


You need:
4 egg whites at room temperature
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup superfine sugar (baker's sugar found at you market in a carton)


Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites with cream of tartar, salt and vanilla. 

When the whites begin to hold stiff peaks, gradually add half the sugar. When the peaks become glossy, gently fold in the remaining sugar. 

Put the meringue mix in a pastry bag (or a Ziploc bag with a corner cut out) and on a baking sheet with lined with parchment paper, pipe  small mounds of meringue mixture. I wanted these cookies  to look like clouds so I used a pastry bag without a tip. You can pipe the cookies close together since the mixture does not spread.

Bake the meringues until hard, about 2 hours.  They should easily release form the parchment. Turn the oven off, prop the door open and allow the meringues to sit in the oven for another hour or so. 

Get creative!  These sweet cookies can be formed into any shape and you can also use food coloring to make the cookies fit any holiday or theme.  Off to a yummy week. XO, Jenny

Milk and Cookie Table

This time last year, I had the honor of creating a milk and cookies dessert table for my sweet sister's engagement party.  The colors for the party were red, white and black and all the names of the cookies reflect the bride and groom to be.  My favorites: kappa, kappa cookie, love nests, and nuts about you.  I made 12 types of cookies by the dozens.  Needless to same it was many, many months before I made cookies again but it was well worth it.

In May, my sister made the most beautiful bride! I wish the newlyweds many, many celebrations ahead as their love blooms!

XO