A Generous Table

M&M Cookie

I don’t know what I love more, these cookies, or their uncooked dough!  (Despite my severe aversion to Salmonella and raw egg goo, yes, I eat this dough raw.  I don’t suggest it for anyone that can’t handle the Salmonella risk, though!)  This is actually the recipe my mom made chocolate chip cookies with, but at Christmas she would use the holiday colored M&Ms instead of the chocolate chips.  I make them year-round because I *Heart*Them soo much! (They are pictured above with Halloween colors – spooky! =) )  This is one of the few recipes I actually prefer made with margarine.  Don’t get me wrong, in a pinch I’ll use butter, but they are much chewier with margarine.  (Unsalted butter, salted butter, margarine and shortening all have different water content which affects the texture of the finished product)  Growing up we used Blue Bonnet, but that’s hydrogenated.  Now I use margarine made from non-hydrogenated oils – you just have to look at the packaging to make sure it is suitable for baking.  I dare you to make these and not eat them all!

M&M Cookies

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 15oz bag M&M candies (or 12 oz chocolate chips)

Cream together sugars, butter/margarine, and shortening.  Mix in eggs and vanilla, then stir in flour, baking soda and salt.  Mix in M&Ms.  Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls 1-2 inches apart on a room temperature,  ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes, or until light golden.  For chewy cookies, slightly underbake cookies and let them cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving to a rack.  If you want more cake-like cookies, add up to an additional ½ cup of flour.  These keep up to a week at room temperature, or you can freeze for up to 3 months, tightly wrapped.  The dough can be frozen, tightly wrapped, then thawed overnight in the refrigerator – do not refreeze uncooked dough. Makes about 3 dozen.