Do you remember that urban legend about green M & Ms? You know, the effect they supposedly have on your…ahem?
If we’re being candid, all chocolate has that effect on most women, right? Regardless, the green M & M will always be the sexy one. It’s her lot in life.
It’s a green kind of week. St. Patrick’s Day is coming up, and while I have absolutely no Irish blood in me, I love the green. It gives me hope for spring.
These cookies came from that sudden hankering for all things green. At first, I was actually contemplating sitting around and picking green M & Ms out of a variety bag. Hey, I have plenty of time, right?
Wrong. Luckily, these mint-flavored M & Ms come in three shades of green and do the trick just fine.
When it comes to cookies, I have different urges. Sometimes I make a soft-baked cookie, sometimes a crispier one. At times, the cookies are small and cute. Now and then, I bake a cookie the size of my two year-old’s head.
This time, I wanted one of those bakery-style cookies. I’m not sure why, but I associate St. Patrick’s Day with bakeries. You know, those old-school bakeries that make huge versions of every traditional baked good? So I decided to make these big. And as for texture, they’re chewy and soft in the middle but crispier on the edges. I call that a compromise that everyone winds up enjoying.
When you’re getting the cookies ready to bake, make the dough balls nice and big. Then, be sure to press M & Ms into the top so that they look good when they come out of the oven, all ready to eat with an M & M in every bite. Don’t be stingy!
Oh, and chill the dough. It makes for a much better cookie. Warmer cookies spread more, and we don’t want the cookie to be too thin and crispy.
I’m not sure if these cookies will put you in the mood for anything but eating cookies. But I think we can all agree that’s still a pretty good time that you have in store.
Plus, with the mint, they’re quite refreshing. A glass of chocolate milk wouldn’t hurt either. And they come off the baking sheet very nicely. Of course, this awesome spatula that a student gave me makes putting cookies on a plate a giggly fun experience. I can’t explain why, but this spatula makes me ridiculously happy.
Darn it. I’m getting silly again. I’d better get to this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 package (11.4 oz) mint M & Ms, with a few reserved to press into the tops
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, or you can use a Silpat baking sheet.
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, cream the melted butter and both sugars until smooth. Beat in the vanilla, egg yolk and egg until blended. Add the dry ingredients until just combined.
Fold in the M & Ms, reserving a few for the tops of the cookies.
Put the bowl of cookie dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least one hour.
Roll the cookie dough into large balls and place on your cookie sheet about 2-3 inches apart. Press your reserved M & Ms into the tops of the cookies so that they come out prettier!
Bake the cookies for 16-17 minutes, rotating the pan once to cook them evenly.
Allow to cool before removing from the cookie sheet.
This is great post.Thanks for sharing.
These cookies sound fabulous, and seriously I love that spatula!! 😉
Aw, thanks so much! The spatula is one of my happiest kitchen items. 🙂