Old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies - chewy inside, a little crisp on the outside - made extra special for Santa with Christmas sprinkles and holiday M&M's mixed in!
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- JUMP TO THE RECIPE
- WHAT MAKES THIS RECIPE SPECIAL?
- SIX FAQ WORTH READING
- MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPES
I can distinctly remember certain recipes my family made every Christmas. Aunt Alice ALWAYS had M&M cookies at Christmas.
I can still see where they'd be placed at the little breakfast table just as you walked in her back door.
Of course, back then, M&Ms only came in the traditional bag of colors but that didn't matter because I always thought the multi-colored M&Ms looked like Christmas tree lights! Side note on that: anybody else old enough to remember when there were no blue M&Ms?
Memories tied to taste and smell stick with us the longest so I love making some of the same recipes every Christmas. My hope is that my kids will remember them and our best Christmas moments when I'm long gone and hopefully make some of them for their families.
Make your own holiday memories with Christmas cookies like these that your family will look forward to every year!
WHAT MAKES THIS RECIPE SPECIAL?
I love ALL the chocolate chip cookies. I like the soft and pillowy ones, the thin and crispy kind and the thick and chewy ones. But for THIS recipe, I like them to be a little chewy on the inside with a slight buttery crisp on the outside.
This is basically the traditional Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe with a few tweaks. We'll add a 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder which will make the cookies puff up a bit when cooking then settle into a chewy cookie when they've cooled.
Plus I always triple the vanilla extract because it adds so much extra flavor; almost like a malted caramel flavor if that's a thing.
6 FAQ ON CHRISTMAS M&M CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
1. How do you prevent M&Ms from cracking when making cookies? The secret to getting picture-perfect M&M's on baked cookies is to add a few to the top of the cookies when they're halfway done cooking.
2. What find of sprinkles can I use? Opaque sprinkles like "jimmies" (skinny, cylindrical) or "quins" (flat shapes) work best. Colored sugar crystal sprinkles will melt into the cookie batter and the color bleeds from nonpareils (tiny balls) because they are only coated with color, not solid color.
3. Can I use other types of morsels or chips? White chocolate chips are gorgeous in these and any type can be used BUT, keep in mind, the sprinkles are 100% sugar and the M&Ms are coated with sugar too so I prefer semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips in these to balance the sweetness.
4. Why used salted butter AND add salt? Just like why we're using semi-sweet, the salt balances all the sweet sugar. Ever taken a bite of a gorgeous cookie and been a little disappointed because the flavor was lacking or flat? That's likely because there wasn't enough salt in the batter so all your tongue is registering is sweet.
5. What type of pan is best for baking these? I recommend using lighter colored pans if you have them. Darker, non-stick pans tend to bake these wider and flatter than light-colored pans. If using darker, non-stick pans, consider reducing the oven temp to 350 degrees.
6. Do I need to line the pans with parchment paper? You can but I never do. The only thing you may need to do differently is use a sturdy metal spatula to remove the cookies if they have cooled completely in the pan (some of the chips may stick to the bottom otherwise).
MORE OF MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS COOKIES
THE VERY BEST THUMBPRINT COOKIES - A tried-and-true family recipe with the perfect cookie dough base filled with fruit jam or preserves.
JIM JAM COOKIES - An old-fashioned heirloom cookie recipe for molasses cookie sandwiches filled with raspberry jam.
SNOWBALL COOKIES - A tender melt-in-your-mouth pecan shortbread cookie recipe perfect for holiday baking!
CHEWY SUGAR COOKIES - A simple recipe for tender, chewy vanilla sugar cookies with a hint of lemon perfect for sprinkles.
COCONUT MACAROON KISSES - A tender and light, yet rich and dreamy recipe for chewy coconut cookies topped with Hershey’s Kiss chocolate drops.
Recipe for Christmas M and M Chocolate Chip Cookies
Christmas M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies
Old-fashioned chocolate chip cookies - chewy inside with a little crisp on the outside - made extra special for Santa with Christmas sprinkles and holiday M&M's mixed in!
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 cups M&Ms, divided
- 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
- 1/3 cup Christmas sprinkles, divided
Instructions
- Read notes about Steps 2 and 12 before proceeding.
- Set aside 1/4 cup of both the M&Ms and chocolate chips and 1.5 tablespoons sprinkles to be added on top of cookies.
- Cream butter with electric mixer until smooth (if using a stand mixer, use paddle attachment). 1 c. butter
- Add sugars then continue mixing until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. 3/4 c. white sugar, 3/4 c. brown sugar
- Add eggs and vanilla then continue mixing until well combined. 2 eggs, 1 Tbsp vanilla
- Combine flour (use the scoop-and-sweep method to measure), baking soda, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl then whisk to combine. 2 1/4 c. flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking powder
- With the mixer set at low speed, add flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time, allowing flour to be blended in each time.
- Add remaining M&Ms, chocolate chips and sprinkles then continue mixing until just combined. 1 c. each M&Ms and chocolate chips, 1/4 c. sprinkles
- Refrigerate dough 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, portion about 2 tablespoons dough, 3 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets then bake 5 minutes.
- Working quickly, remove cookies from oven then place reserved M&Ms, chocolate chips and sprinkles onto partially baked cookies.
- Return cookies to oven then continue cooking 5 minutes or until edges start to brown.
- Cool at least 5 minutes before removing from pan.
Notes
- You can absolutely add all of the M&Ms, chocolate chips and sprinkles into the batter and skip Steps 2 and 12. Adding some on top just makes the cookies extra pretty but they taste the same!
- If using a convection oven you can bake 2 pans at once. Switch positions after adding toppings to ensure consistent baking. You'll need to bake 3 pans of 12 (just trust me... see how several of the cookies pictured here have flat sides? That's because I put 15 in a pan and they ran together 😬).
- My darker, non-stick pans tend to bake these wider and flatter than my light-colored pans. I recommend using lighter colored pans if you have them. If using darker, non-stick pans, consider reducing the oven temp to 350 degrees.
- Opaque sprinkles like "jimmies" (skinny, cylindrical) or "quins" (flat shapes) work best for the sprinkles. Colored sugar crystal sprinkles will melt into the cookie batter and the color bleeds from nonpareils (tiny balls).
- One 2.75 oz container sprinkles yields almost exactly 1/3 cup.
- Use light or dark brown sugar. I used dark in the batch pictured here.
- If left to cool completely in the pan, you'll likely need a sturdy metal spatula to remove.
- See about FAQ above for more tips and answers to other questions you may have.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Hi there! While I’m not able to respond to every comment, I try hard to answer any questions that haven’t been addressed in the post, recipe or in other comments.
I can tell you now 1) I have no idea if you can substitute Minute Rice or brown rice in my recipes because I’ve never used them and 2) If I know how to convert a recipe to a Crock Pot version, I will make a note about it (otherwise, I don’t know).
And though I may not respond to them all, I do read each and every comment and I LOVE to hear from you guys! Thanks, y’all! - Mandy