The Third Day of Christmas Cookies: Monster Cookies

The Third Day of Christmas Cookies features a recipe I’ve used longer than any other. In fact, I don’t even remember baking cookies before I started baking these.

This recipe came to us from friends in Irvine and started out as a standard chocolate chip cookie recipe. That suited our needs for years, and the shortening/butter fat combination offered some nuance I didn’t find in other recipes (the shortening also allowed these cookies to bake a little thicker than cookies that rely solely on butter for the fat).

Over the years, I started tinkering with the recipe by adding to the mixture nuts (and later toasted nuts), coconut, and sometimes even chopped-up candy bars. The kid in me was also drawn to the aesthetic and added crunch of milk chocolate M&Ms on top (Michelle doesn’t seem to appreciate the M&Ms, but she tolerates those of us who do).

In the current evolution of this recipe, the M&Ms are still a mainstay. I now use coconut oil in place of shortening (which provides the coconut aroma without the added dryness that comes with using actual coconut). I also refuse to make these cookies unless I’m including toasted pecans (toasted walnuts could work too, but I’m of the mind that they’re more suited for brownies). As with the molasses spice cookies and most of the other cookies I bake, I like these best when I bake them large (with a 2” ice cream scoop), aiming for a soft interior and slightly crusted exterior.

They’re workman-like cookies as they lack the sophistication of some of my other favorites, but one of my sisters claims they’re her favorite (and I like to believe she’s not just saying that to humor me).

This recipe also makes a ton of cookies (well, more like 24+ using the large scoop).

One last thought: I find that these cookies taste even better the second day – after the chocolate has a chance to “set” into the cookie. If you know, you know.

Original Monster Cookies

1 Stick (1/2 Cup) of Butter

1 Cup Coconut Oil (or Shortening)

1 1/4 Cup White Sugar

1 1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar

1 Tbls. Vanilla Extract

2 Large Eggs

4 Cups White Flour

2 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Salt

2 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (we prefer the Kirkland Signature brand, but only if they’re the “real” chocolate chips)

1 Cup Toasted Pecans or Walnuts

1 Cup (or so) of Milk Chocolate M&Ms

Directions

Toast and roughly chop the pecans, if you haven’t already.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the butter, shortening, white sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl for two minutes or so. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add the baking soda and salt. Mix well. Add the flour. Mix well. Add the chocolate chips and nuts. Mix well.

On parchment paper or a Silpat, use a 2” ice cream scoop to drop generous balls of cookie dough a few inches apart (I can fit 8 safely on a regular size cookie sheet). Place the M&Ms on top of the dropped cookie dough balls. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet at the halfway point. Aim for the edges of the cookies to just start to turn golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for at least 5 minutes, then remove them to a rack.