I took today off work with the hopes of getting stuff done around the house. My garden is a jungle of weeds. I need to dust, vacuum, and do approximately 20 loads of laundry. Instead of doing anything productive, so far today I have made bourbon caramel apple cinnamon rolls, biked to Baskin Robbins for ice cream, and watched a shameful amount of Netflix. I decided to blog a bit so I could cross at least one thing off my “to do” list.

I’ve been meaning to share this cookie recipe with y’all for a while. I first made them in the winter, during my search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I tested several recipes, and decided that Cook’s Illustrated’s Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies were the winner.

I’ve been making them 4 dozen at a time ever since with a variety of mix-ins – chocolate chips, M&Ms, nuts… basically whatever your heart desires. Mike told me that he prefers them with M&Ms, so I’ve been making them with just M&Ms ever since. The best part of this recipe? Unlike this awesome cookie recipe, it doesn’t require any overnight refrigeration. That means instant gratification. Enjoy them this holiday weekend with some red, white and blue M&Ms! Happy Independence Day, everyone!

Thick and Chewy M&M Cookies
slightly adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups of any combination of the following: chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, M&Ms, nuts

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix butter, brown sugar, and sugar until blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add in dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. To form the cookie: Scoop a heaping tablespoon of dough and form it into a ball. Using the fingertips of both hands, pull the ball into two equal halves. Rotate the halves ninety degrees so that the jagged edges are facing up. Gently press the halves together to form a single cookie dough ball, being careful not to smooth out the jagged surface. Place the dough 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
5. Bake cookies for 10 – 13 minutes, or until cookies are a light golden brown and the outer edges have started to harden. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on a cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to cool complete.