I’ve fallen off the wagon. The sugar wagon that is. As I’ve mentioned before, I gave up unrefined sugar for Lent. Well, Lent is over, and so is the fast!
Have you heard the news about the toxicity of sugar? Or this research that it is more addictive than cocaine? I believe them both. Oddly, I gave up sugar for the month of January as well, but the extra two weeks of Lent made a big difference. When I had my first bite of sugar on February 1, I felt no different than on I did on January 31 with no sugar in my system. However when I had sugar the first time after Lent, I felt horrible. I felt nauseous, anxious, and got a horrible headache. And then I wanted more, and I felt better, for an hour. So, I believe the research that it is more addictive than cocaine.
And yet here I am posting a cookie recipe! What can I say, I’m an addict! And these cookies are my cocaine!
Have you had this trail mix from Target?
It may very well be cocaine packaged up and sold on the shelves at your local Target! It’s M&Ms, peanuts, raisins, peanut butter chips, and chocolate chips. I could eat the entire container in a day if I didn’t exercise any self-restraint. So to keep my self from eating handful after handful, I decided to make Monster Cookies using the mix! It was a good idea, except I still ate the whole container, wrapped up in my favorite chocolate chip cookie dough from Milk & Cookies.
MONSTER COOKIES (Makes about 3 dozen cookies)
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 TBS vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups Monster Trail Mix
Preheat oven to 350.
Put oats in a food processor and process until finely ground. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In another large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter on low to soften. Increase speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes, until light and creamy. Gradually add the sugars, beating until light and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping sides after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, until almost mixed. When dough is still streaky with dry ingredients, stir in chocolate chips and trail mix with a spoon.
Drop cookies onto cookie sheet and bake for 10-13 minutes, until edges are barely turning golden. The center will seem to be undercooked, but this is important to retain chewiness. DO NOT OVERBAKE!!! Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
simmer & savor 