M&M Cookies

you know you love M

Seriously, who doesn't love M&Ms? That was such a great tag line...so, much better than "melts in your mouth, not in your hands". We all know that's a lie! But, it's no lie that one thing that makes M&Ms better is to bake them into a simple cookie dough. My mom has been making these cookies every Christmas since I was a little girl with the red and green M&Ms. But, why wait until then? Using the original M&Ms this is the perfect rainbow dessert any time of the year.

This recipe is super quick to make and you probably have everything you need in your pantry; all but the M&Ms. It rained all day Saturday when I made these and it only seemed fitting to end my day with a rainbow cookie. Make these when you need some color in your day. Here's how...

Ingredients - Makes 4 Dozen
1 Stick Unsalted Butter, softened
1/2 C Shortening
1 C Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1/2 C Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 1/4 C Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
1 Bag (12.5 oz.) M&Ms Original (approx. 1 1/2 C)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a stand mixer or large bowl combine the butter, shortening, brown, and granulated sugar. Cream the fats and sugars for 2-3 minutes on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the vanilla and eggs. Beat until just combined.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. Allow the batter to just come together and then turn off the mixer. Stir in 1 C of the M&Ms (save the rest for topping).

Form the dough into 1 T size balls and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press 2-3 M&Ms into the top of each ball. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the cookies to a cooling rack and repeat until all of the dough has been used. You will have approx. 48 cookies.

Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing. Store in an air-tight container for up to 10 days. Serve these with a tall glass of milk. Or, sandwich your favorite ice cream between two cookies. Add some color to your day. Enjoy!