Peanut Butter Monster Cookies!

I'm not gonna lie. These are probably the best cookies I've eaten in a long time (not including my Flarts, that is). To me, a Monster cookie contains a variety of goodies. In this case, I filled the cookies with oats, nuts and coconut. You won't eveb be able to tell they're vegan!

These peanut butter wonders are best eaten warm with a nice glass of soymilk!

NOTE: The peanut butter I use is Skippy All-Natural creamy. It already has sugar in it. If you're using peanut butter that's basically smashed peanuts and oil (check the label) you will probably want to add some additional sugar. But that's up to you.

Also feel free to leave out the pecans, coconut, and cocoa and substitute with 1 c. vegan chocolate chips. Or leave all the extras out and make regular, old-fashioned peanut butter cookies.

1 1/2 c. unbleached flour
1/2 c. rolled or old-fashioned oats (though I'm pretty sure I used quick)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. light brown sugar, packed
1/4 c. nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening
1/4 c. oil
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
1 Tb. milled flax seed + 5 Tb. hot water
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. chopped pecans
3 Tb. unsweetened shredded coconut
2 Tb. cocoa

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

In a small bowl or cup, combine the milled flax seed and the hot water. Stir; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar, shortening, and oil with a mixer until it's smooth and fluffy. Add the peanut butter and mix until it's well combined. Add the flax seed/water mixture and the vanilla to the brown sugar mixture and beat until smooth.

Beat in the flour mixture until combined. Add the pecans, coconut, and cocoa and stir until well mixed (I add the cocoa and this step in order to give the dough a nice peanut butter/chocolate swirl look).

Make tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2-3 inches apart. Press down to about 1/2-inch thickness with a fork (you won't know they have peanut butter in them unless they have the fork marks!).

Bake about 12 minutes, or until cookies are golden and dry on top. Cool on the baking sheet a couple of minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.