Monster Cookie Bars

Monster cookies are the epitome of childhood in a cookie. Also called “everything but the kitchen sink” cookies, they have, well, pretty much everything you could ever want in a cookie inside! Peanut butter, oats, m&ms, smarties (for Canadians :D), chocolate chips, skor bits, the possibilities are endless!

Last week I tried these Earth Day Bars from my friend Jenn, and they were quite good (though I did something to them so mine were really dry, might have been the homemade “bisquick” mix). But when my husband saw them on the counter he said “What’s this?! Monster cookie bars?!?”, and a lightbulb went off in my head.

Why not try making monster cookies as a bar? If the cookies are that good, bars would be even MORE amazing! The challenge was on!

I dug up the recipe from my friend Darla‘s mom, Beccy (mom of 11!), from our homeschool home ec classes. I distinctly remember her teaching us to make these cookies in a church basement kitchen, creaming what must have been 9 cups or so of peanut butter, BY HAND! I can see myself wooden spoon stirring and stirring and commenting about the muscles people must have had before electric mixers :D Good times!

This recipe has been an old faithful cookie recipe, and I must say, as a bar, it totally upped the bar! Hee hee, get it?! I changed some of the amounts and in the end removed enough batter to make 9 large cookies so the pan wasn’t too full.

1 1/2 cups peanut butter (I used unsweetened, natural, Kirkland brand)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 scant tablespoon maple syrup (substituted instead of corn syrup)

4 1/2 cups oatmeal

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup smarties, M&Ms, reese’s pieces, etc.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream peanut butter, butter and sugars. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl in between. Mix in vanilla and syrup. Add the remaining ingredients.