Thick and Chewy Cookies

OK, let’s just get straight to the point here.  What’s not to like about thick and chewy in a cookie!!  That’s one of the things I love the most about this recipe.  It’s an unusual recipe in that it does not contain flour.  I was skeptical the first time I made them but they turned out great and they have become a most requested cookie at our house.  I use plain and peanut M & M’s in this recipe, but you can use chocolate chips, raisins, craisins, whatever you like.  This recipe makes several large cookies.  We recently had a gang of middle school, high school, and college students (all friends of my kids) at the house this week for our annual Christmas caroling, and they ate every last cookie!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup margarine

2 cups peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup white sugar

4 1/2 cups quick oats or old fashioned oats (I typically use old fashioned)

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup plain M & Ms

1 cup peanut M & Ms

You can add raisins, chocolate chips, etc. or substitute these for the M & Ms.  I just use the M & Ms. For my most recent batch of cookies at Christmas, I used the red and green M & Ms.

Directions:

Beat margarine and both sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter until well blended.

Beat in baking soda and oats.

Dough will be stiff.  Stir in M & Ms with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon so as not to break them up.

Shape dough into  large  balls and place on baking sheet lined with parchment.

I usually make fairly large cookies, using at least 1/3 cup of dough or more.  But you can also make smaller cookies using less dough, but where’s the fun in that?

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12 minutes or so until the edges are lightly browned.  Cool on wire racks for a few minutes, then serve.  They won’t last long!