Jen’s Famous Monster Cookies

For the past nine weeks, I’ve been up to my eyeballs in opera.

Where the is opera there is an opera orchestra. And where there is an orchestra, there needs to be cookies.

LOTS of cookies.

So here you have 4 variations of my friend Jen’s Famous Monster Cookies that made their opera debut this year. (Click that link for the step by step pictures and instructions.)

Clockwise from the top left you have boxes of Dark Chocolate Chip & Dried Cherry (my favorite), White Chocolate Chip & Dried Cranberry, Butterscotch Chip & Pecan, and because my friend Benjamin informed me that ALL true Monster Cookies must contain M&Ms, you have M&M, Dark Chocolate Chip & Butterscotch Chip.

These cookies are super easy to make. They mix up in a big bowl with a spoon and good old elbow grease. No big mixer or special equipment required.

And as long as you can eat oats, they are also Gluten Free.

But you don’t even have to tell non-GF people that because these cookies are so good, everyone will want one.

Or two.

Or in the case of our Maestro….four!

We might have to rename these Sarastoa Opera Cookies. 

So for all my opera friends who asked, here is the recipe:

Jen’s Famous Gluten Free Cookies

Safe travels, friends and I hope to see you all next season!

And for anyone who is interested, this year The Sarastoa Opera completed the Verdi Cycle, a 28 year project in which we are the only opera company in the world to have performed ALL of Giuseppe Verdi’s music. And by all, I mean all…as in EVERY SINGLE NOTE VERDI EVER WROTE! Every opera, every draft of an aria, every piece of ballet music that never made it into an opera, every orchestral piece, chamber piece, every…single…note. I’ve only been involved for 10 years, but it was thrilling.

You can read more about it:

Sarasota Opera – verdicycle.org

The Classical Review – Sarasota Opera to Celebrate the Final Season of Verdi Cycle in Style

Or visit the Sarasota Opera Facebook page for more info and lots of photos.