soft mini-M&M cookies

have i ever talked to you about my cookie preferences? well, let’s get it out there officially: i like my cookies to be soft. sure, if you throw a crunchy or crispy cookie at me, i’ll eat it, but it’s not going to steal my heart in the same way that a soft cookie will, especially one that’s still warm out of the oven.

i had a little free time yesterday afternoon, + decided it was the perfect time to do a little baking. honestly, though, is there ever a bad time to do some baking? i remembered that i had some mini-m&ms in the house, begging to be used, so i searched for a recipe to feature ’em, + stumbled across this fabulous-sounding recipe from how sweet eats. and let me say, i’m soooo glad i did.

these cookies have everything that my cookie-lovin’ heart adores. they’re delightfully soft + just the tiniest bit chewy, with a wonderful, buttery flavor. oh, + you know how some m&m cookies are super flat? these puppies have some serious height – they’re all over 1″ tall, which is pretty impressive. a cookie that both looks great + tastes amazing? i’ll take it! actually, i’ll take a whole bunch of ’em. =)

soft mini-m&m cookies

makes about 18 giant or 34 regular cookies (i opted for regular-size), adapted from how sweet eats

ingredients

2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted + cooled
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk, both at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup mini m&ms (plus extra for adding more to the tops of the cookies)

directions

preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

mix the flour + baking soda in a bowl + set aside. in another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, + white sugar until they are combined. add the egg, egg yolk, salt, + vanilla + stir until mixed. gradually add flour + mix until a dough forms – it will look crumbly at first, but it will come together – i found that using my hands was the easiest way to mix it. fold in the m&ms.

decide if you’re going to make giant cookies, or regular-sized cookies + divide dough accordingly – 1/4 cup portions for giant cookies or 2 tablespoon portions for regular-sized cookies. roll each portion into a ball then place on a non-stick/silpat-lined baking sheet, leaving about 2″ between cookies. depending on how many m&ms are visible in the dough balls, feel free to add a few more m&ms to the tops/sides of the cookies – that’s what i did, which resulted in the gorgeously m&m-y cookies above.

amy’s optional step: put the baking sheet of cookies in the freezer for 5 minutes before baking. i do that with a lot of my cookies, which seems to result in them keeping a great shape + height.

bake for 12-15 minutes (giant cookies) or 8-12 minutes (regular-sized cookies) or until the cookies are golden, but the centers are still soft + puffed. take care not to over bake, unless you like crispy cookies. =)

let cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack. cookies will keep for about a week in an airtight container.

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