Chocolate M&M Cookies

Soft, chewy, cocoa chocolate cookies, adorned with mini M&M candies - childhood in a cookie, and perfect for after-school snacks or a small lunchbox treat! Or if you're just like me, you can hide in your pantry and pretend you didn't just eat five of them in a row. They're THAT good! 

My oldest son just entered first grade, and for us that means the beginning of sending a lunch with him to school. We have a fun tradition of baking with the boys on Sundays, so lately we've been making cookies for his small lunchbox treat for the week. 

We started off with chocolate chip cookies, but I wanted to make sure I'm switching up his lunchbox treat here and there, so chocolate cookies were next in line. This time, though, we tossed in some mini M&Ms and man, my little boys were sold. It has been mighty hard to not snack on these all the time. Hiding them on the top shelf has given me no one else to blame when our cookie stash has quickly disappeared! Oops! 

These start off with cold butter. I know recipes usually call for room-temperature everything, but for this one, you can just throw your two sticks of butter right into your stand mixer and call it good. 

Next comes the sugars - classic granulated sugar and brown sugar; the cookie power duo. Add in your eggs, vanilla (good vanilla counts big-time in cookies!) and then let it all mix together. Scrape down the bowl, and now you're ready for those dry ingredients. 

In a small separate bowl, whisk together your flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. You could keep these non-chocolate cookies by subbing in flour for the cocoa powder, but COME ON, WHY ARE YOU HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE? Because, chocolate. 

I prefer using Nestle cocoa, but mostly because I love the taste of it in my cocoa buttercream. I has that box-brownie taste that I love oh-so-much. 

Add those dry ingredients into your mixing bowl with the wet ones, and mix on medium until just combined. Toss in those mini M&Ms and mix on low for maybe 20 seconds. 

Next is the WORST PART OF MY LIFE.

Yes, we have to chill the dough. 

I hate reading the word "chill" when it comes to making cookies. Why? Because I usually want to eat the cookies asap. Waiting for them is torture. And I usually end up eating more of the dough that way.

But I'm telling you, you must resist! Put some plastic wrap over that bowl and throw it in the fridge. 30 min to an hour is all it takes. Next, get your cookie scoop, scoop up the dough, roll it in your hand for a second, place them on the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart, press some more of those little M&M lovers into the cookies to make them even more pretty, bake them up, and serously...

...a new go-to cookie favorite is calling your name! 

Enjoy!

Chocolate M&M Cookies

makes 24 cookies

ingredients:

1 Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 Cup granulated sugar

3/4 Cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 C all-purpose flour

1/3 cocoa powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 Cup mini M&Ms

method:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed until well combined (about 2 minutes). Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides. 

2. In a medium separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add into the mixing bowl and mix until just combined - stir in M&M candies. 

3. Chill dough for at least 30 minutes. 

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (330 for convect bake). With a cookie scoop, scoop cookies onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet about 2-inches apart. Bake for 7-9 minutes (cookies will be a little undercooked, but should be able to hold their shape after resting on the pan for 2 minutes after baking). 

5. Enjoy!