Friday, October 17, 2014

Candy Corn M&M Cookies

I never used to like candy corn.  I have the biggest sweet tooth on the planet, but it's one of the very few candies I could skip by without batting an eye.  So I'm not sure what ever possessed me to buy White Chocolate Candy Corn M&Ms.  Perhaps it was the "white chocolate" part of White Chocolate Candy Corn (in fact, I'm pretty sure it was).  I was rather unsure about them after my first taste.  They were sort of weird...more white chocolate than candy corn, and the candy corn part I could taste wasn't BAD.  I nibbled here and there over several days until...GASP.  They were GONE.  I guess I must have liked them!

That was last year.  This year, I made the mistake of buying three bags at once.  You know, they're seasonal, and I thought I should stock up.  And save them.  But then I pretty much inhaled bag #1 and I knew something needed to be done.  I can't afford to be pounding bag after bag of M&Ms!  I needed to pace myself.  I decided to make cookies.  I thought if these decadent morsels were in a cookie, I could limit myself to just one a day.  A reasonable amount.  Maybe? 


Candy Corn M&M Cookies
Adapted from Averie Cooks


Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons fat-free milk
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups bread flour (makes cookies chewier)
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt


Directions:
Place the butter in a stand mixer or large bowl and beat on low speed until smooth.  Add the sugars and cream until well-combined.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add egg, milk, and vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy.  Add flours, baking soda and salt and mix until just combined.  Add M&Ms and stir gently until incorporated.  Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for a minimum of three hours.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a non-stick silicone baking mat.  Use a medium cookie scoop and place eight mounds of cookie dough on the baking sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are just set and slightly golden in color.  Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet. The cookies will firm up as they cool.  Repeat until all the dough has been utilized.  Transfer cooled cookies to an airtight container for storage.   

Makes approximately 28 cookies