Chocolate Monster Cookies

It was just as well that I'd decided to make these cookies today.  My littlest one came home from school quite the crabby little child.  She cried and fussed and carried on - right up to the point that she discovered Momma had made Chocolate Monster Cookies.

This week has been a little frustrating for everybody in the house, but a little chocolate goes a long way to soothing away the aggravations of the day.  They're also a little "healthier" than the standard cookie - but they're still chocolate.  With M&M's.

Chocolate Monster Cookies

1/2 c. + 3 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
2 c. gluten-free old fashioned or quick-cooking oats
1 c. quinoa flakes
2 c. brown rice cereal
1 c. Valentine M&M's
1/2 c. dark chocolate chips
1/2 c. white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two cookies sheets with parchment paper.
Cream together peanut butter and butter.

Beat in cocoa powder until all lumps are gone.  Add sugar, salt, and baking powder.  Beat until smooth.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

With mixer on lowest setting, add oatmeal, quinoa, and rice cereal.  Mix until all are well distributed.  Stir in candies and chips by hand.  

Use a 1 oz. disher to place generous ~2 Tbsp portions of dough on each cookie sheet.  Bake for about 12 minutes, or until set.  Allow to cool on cookie sheet 2-3 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

A few notes:

1.  Not all people who are on a gluten-free diet can tolerate oats, even if they're gluten-free oats.  Check with your doctor if you're unsure.

2.  If you want, you can use 3 oz. of melted unsweetened baking cocoa instead of the cocoa powder.  Just reduce the butter to 1/2 c. and add the melted, cooled chocolate to the peanut butter/butter/sugar mixture.

3.  I know, peanut butter has plenty of salt.  But I use unsalted butter, and I found that with the chocolate these needed just a bit more salt to avoid tasting "flat."

Happy Valentine's Day!

This is a blog hop.  Please visit these other fabulous recipes in the #chocolatelove hop: