Fond Memories in a Monster Cookie

Just recently, I had been exchanging Facebook messages with a good friend from high school. She had just discovered my blog and mentioned I should post my mom's M&M cookie recipe. I was so excited she remembered these cookies, as I had totally forgotten! Always emerging at soccer practice in a large ziploc bag, these babies did not last long. Back in the day of daily soccer practice and cringe inducing homework, this was one of my mom's classic, feel-good desserts. I hope to get a few more up here soon!

Although I don't have the original recipe, I do have Ina Garten's Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. This is an excellent recipe for a good cookie dough that you can easily "make your own." As a cook with no professional training, these are the recipes that I look for and learn to love: the ones that survive any alteration or addition and always taste yummy. Ina calls for chocolate chips and walnuts, but I went for the monster effect - M&M's.

Mom's M&M Monster Cookies
adapted from Barefoot Contessa's Recipe
1/2 lb unsweetened butter (at room temperature)
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs (at room temperature)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups M&M candies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

In a mixer combine the butter and sugar, beat well. Slowly add the vanilla extract and each egg one at a time so that ingredients are well incorporated. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In two waves, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. Once everything is combined, pour the M&Ms into the dough and quickly mix together. Don't over mix!

On a parchment lined cookie sheet, drop heaping spoonfulls of dough an inch and a half apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes. My oven is a little hot, so I cooked mine for 12 minutes. Should yield about 2 dozen.