I subscribe to several baking blogs, and recently I read with amusement of one blogger's search for the perfect M&M cookie. What she found didn't surprise me... the perfect cookie has some shortening in it.
When my Kitchen Aid first came home to live with me, I was a butter snob. No sense baking if I wasn't using real butter.
Then I went on a quest to find dairy free cookies. In doing so, I discovered that a little shortening in the better actually makes for a better texture for the cookie.
Here's the link to the original post: Cookie Madness
I doubled this recipe, as I often do. If I'm going to make cookies, I'm going to make a bunch. I also made a mistake in doubling, but I managed to get it fixed before I ruined more than 1 sheet of cookies. I used Halloween fun color M&Ms, and this was my trial run for Christmas M&M cookies. I think it's a keeper.
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cups plain M&Ms
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
This dough will need to set in the fridge for at least an hour after mixing, so no need to preheat the oven yet.
Combine the butter and shortening in mixer. Beat until creamy. Add both sugars and continue beating on high for two minutes, scraping bowl. Beat in the vanilla and egg. Continue beating for another minute or until fluffy.
Stir together the flour, salt and baking soda. Add this mixture to the sugar mixture and stir until mixed. Stir in the M&Ms and chocolate chips. Chill batter for about an hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Drop batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, spacing 3 inches apart and bake for 12-14 minutes. The cookies do spread, so keep that in mind when spacing out the cookies. Let cool on cookie sheets for about 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool.
Makes about 22 cookies
To download this recipe in printable form, click here: Download Bestyetmandm
