m&m cookies

My Aunt always makes these amazing smarties cookies around the holidays.  I thought I'd put in m&m's instead because they are my favorite movie candy.  The different colours make this cookie fun and delicious.  Before I give you the recipe (adapted from the back of an m&m's bag), I'd like to introduce my baking buddy, Boomer!  He's always at my feet when I'm in the kitchen and has a strange obsession with my kitchen drawers.

So here are the ingredients:

1 cup butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups m&m's mini baking bits

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. In a large bowl, combine sugars and butter untill light and fluffy; beat in the egg and vanilla extract.

3. In a seperate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.  Gradually add to butter, sugar, and egg mixture.

4. Stir in m&m's.

5. Drop by teaspoon (*) about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

6. Bake for 10-13 minutes and let cookies cool completely on a wire rack.

* I bought myself a wonderful cookie scoop that makes perfectly round cookies.  The scoop is from Bed, Bath, and Beyond and it worked really well.  Here is what it looks like:

The base of the spoon (purple) is silicone, so it's super easy to push out the dough!  You just have to make sure to flatten the cookies down a little, otherwise they won't cook all the way through.

Perfect shape with very little effort :)