Fudgy M&M Cookies

Can I just say that these cookies are the bomb? I have been trying to replicate an M&M cookie like those from my favorite bakery for-ev-er (Sandlot style) and I have finally found it! These are thick and fudgy and perfect! The original recipe just had these as dough for sugar cookies, but I am glad I added M&Ms because the dark crunchy M&Ms perfectly complement the rich, heavy, and sugary dough.   The secret to the fudgy dough is in the cream cheese. I have never really used cream cheese in a cookie before so I was pleasantly surprised to see the difference it made in the overall taste and texture. It is weird because you only use 2 oz though which I thought was a mistake because 2 oz is only a quarter of a bar of cream cheese. I neurotically searched the internet to make sure I wasn’t crazy. I read all the comments to the recipe for this and everyone else agreed that it seemed weird too.  I was apprehensive and ended up adding a little extra cream cheese anyways though. It was like that feeling of  having 6 questions in a row on a test have the letter “C”, but going back and changing an answer because there is NO WAY someone would ever put 6 Cs in a row…right??? RIGHT???

It was really hard choice to actually bake the cookies and not just eat all this


Anyways, take my word for it. These cookies are perfect. 

Fudgy M&M Sugar Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar, plus a little extra for rolling

2 oz cream cheese, cut into chunks (room temperature or it will be chunky)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and still warm

1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-1 1/4 cups M&M's

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. Combine 1 1/2 cups of sugar and cream cheese in a large bowl (no need to stir them together yet).

Pour the warm butter over the cream cheese mixture and whisk to combine - the mixture won't be completely smooth yet, that's fine.

Whisk in the oil then the egg, milk and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.

4. Use a rubber spatula to start folding the dry ingredients into the wet. When the dry ingredients are

partially incorporated, add 3/4 cup of the M&M's to the dough. Continue mixing until a soft dough

comes together. (Don't wait to add the M&M's until the dry ingredients are completely incorporated

- you'll end up over mixing.)

5. Use a batter scoop (aka a tiny ice cream scoop) to get perfectly portioned cookies. Roll the dough balls in sugar.  You can also place extra M&Ms on top of the cookies when they come out of the oven. If you put them on top before baking, they will crack in the oven!

6. Bake the cookies for approximately 9 minutes. The cookies should not brown at all or they will be crispy. You will know when they are done when they have cracked around the edges.