M&M Butter Cookie Recipe

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Jackie and I (famous on the blogworld for being empty nesters) were thrilled to have our favorite Niece and her family visit for Thanksgiving.  Guided by the grand nieces and nephew (ages 4,6 and 7), we went to tree lighting ceremonies, sat on Santa's lap (Santa even remembered that one of the nieces cried on his lap when she was 2... you should have seen the look on her face), ate at three kid friendly restaurants (had our hamburgers delivered on a model railroad car), saw live theater (Junie B Jones in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells), saw Disney's new movie and had hot chocolate and S'Mores around our firepit in our snuggies.

I highly recommend having a few pre-teens around the house for the holidays.

Long time readers also know that I am an early riser.  I like to get up and watch the sun come up, take a walk and sort my head around my plans for the day (that sounds so much better than I get up because I have to pee and I can never get back to sleep.  I'm old, and you all will be there sooner than you think.).

Well, yesterday, instead of a walk, I got up and made the kids cookies.  They have an 8 hour drive back to South Dakota (truly God's country).  I found out this week that my grand nieces (the 6 and 7 year olds) have a favorite color.  One likes pink and one likes green.  Perfect for those Christmas colored M&M's.

My grand nephew, age 4 is... well, he is the MOST "4 year old" you have ever met.  His parents must be exhausted all day long.  But he is at that perfect age to threaten with the rocks from Santa line.  It's kind of amazing how often that line was used this weekend.  Like I said, he's 4.

So, with a little food coloring, a bag of M&M's and a bag of these "rock" chocolate chips (and a simple butter cookie recipe), it is a simple matter to have an individual gift ready for their drive home.

I found this recipe on the SophistiMOM blog.

2 1/2 cups (375g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (16 tablespoons or 220g) unsalted, room temperature butter
1 3/4 cups (380g) sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
1 small package (2 ounces or 55g) M&M candies 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (190 degrees Celsius). 

2. Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Set aside. 

3. With an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on high until smooth and light, about 2 minutes. Next add the sugar and continue beating until light in color and fluffy. With the speed on low, add eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Beat until smooth. 

4. Turn off the mixer and scrape down sides of bowl. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated. 

6. Scoop out dough by 2 tablespoonfuls and place about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Press 5-8 M&M’s on each ball of dough. Flatten each ball of dough slightly with the bottom of a glass. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until barely golden brown on the edges. 

7. Remove from oven and let rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Pretty obvious the changes I made, mix and match the colors with some food coloring.  Substitute the "rock" chocolate chips for M&;M's for the 4 year old's cookies.  One note is to bake for just 12 minutes.  These are wonderfully buttery soft with a crisp bottom when slightly under baked, but are almost rock hard if you let them get too done.


Amid all the hugs and wet sloppy kisses good-bye, I gave each of the kids a bag with their favorites; told them each I made them special just for them because they were my favorite and I wanted to make their favorite colors.


I am not above buying affection with cookies!

And what great timing...

I froze the extras.  I had just enough to add these to the Cul de Sac cookie exchange.  they certainly make a colorful addition!

Here's my Christmas Cookies for the year (so far, I have one more recipe to follow tomorrow)!

As I said, I used these as part of the Cul de Sac Cookie Exchange and they were VERY popular. Of course, anyone with young children made sure to get the sweet icing covered cookies. But everyone grabbed a few of these to share with their dirt age guests.

I also made GIRL SCOUT NO BAKE Thin Mint TRUFFLES... (you of course know to click the blue letters or the photo to the right to follow the link to those recipes)...

And just in case you think I forgot the little darlings that look forward to Christmas cookies, my most popular contribution to the exchange was in fact the easiest... Again, NO BAKE, cheater (I use Nutter Butter cookies) Snowmen...

I call these... The Easiest NO-BAKE cookie that your friends will Ooh and Aah over!

But at least around our house, sweet, overly iced and decorated cookies are really not our favorites.  We prefer a more grown up cookie and I found those with these herb flavored, Rosemary and Lime drop cookies that I call ...

Saint Paul's Big Girl Panties Rosemary Cookies!

This is a recipe everyone should have on hand.  A classic Sugar cookie, made HOLIDAY presentable with just a few additions.

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Ways to Cook COOKIE, BARS and TRUFFLES"!!!

Old school like classic criss cross peanut butter to new takes on interesting recipes like a beautiful Red Velvet with the cream cheese mixed inside the cookie, accented with white chocolate chips!  Even a Pineapple Cream Cheese EASY Bar with only 5 ingredients! 

Stop on by, there's always a new cookie in the cookie jar!

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