EXTRAORDINARY M&M COOKIES

Gold Medal has a recipe for “Extraordinary Chocolate Chip Cookies” printed on the back of their 5-lb. unbleached all-purpose flour bag. Always up for a new CC cookie recipe, I thought I would try it, especially since they bragged with the title that the cookies are “extraordinary.”

Right off the bat, I made a change, switching from chocolate chips to M&M’s. And instead of using white sugar + brown sugar, I opted to use white sugar + molasses. And, sorry Gold Medal, but I also decided to use up some of my Ultra-Grain (30% whole wheat) flour and add some of my “coffee essence.”



And here’s a little reminder: Don’t get out your Kitchen Aid for these cookies. Use a spoon or spatula to mix the dough. That way, you won’t overheat the dough, causing your cookies to rise up high, then deflate when they cool. And don’t leave the butter out on the counter too long either. The butter should be at cool room temperature, so plan to leave it out for about 15-20 minutes for best results.


Well, these cookies lived up to their title, because everyone who tasted them raved. They’re crispy, crunchy and chewy, and have excellent flavor and sweetness. They’re not big and fat like a Levain cookie, but they are the kind of cookie that people really like. That chewiness and sweetness with the crispy-crunchiness is a winner. And the M&M’s definitely belonged in these cookies. This one’s a keeper for sure.

EXTRAORDINARY M&M COOKIES Adapted half batch from Gold Medal’s Extraordinary Chocolate Chip Cookies Rating: 9 out of 10 Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS: 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine (I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter) 1 cup + 3 Tbsp. sugar + 1-1/2 tsp. molasses (Or, you can use 1-1/4 cups brown sugar, packed) 1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. coffee essence (equal parts of coffee liqueur + instant coffee granules) 1 large egg 2-1/4 cups flour (I used Ultra-Grain) 1 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. sea salt 12 oz. bag of M&M’s (or you can use chocolate chips, if preferred) Heat oven to 350F. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, molasses (if using), vanilla, coffee essence and egg till thoroughly combined. (It’s okay if you see some specks of butter; don’t worry about getting the butter totally smooth in the batter.) Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Dough should be slightly stiff. Stir in M&M’s. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2” apart on ungreased cookie sheet. (I used my small ice cream scoop.) Flatten slightly with fingers or fork. Bake 11-13 minutes, or till a toothpick inserted near center returns clean. Cool on baking sheets at least 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to finish cooling. (Leaving the cookies in the pan to start cooling helps to make them chewy, so don’t move them for at least 5 minutes.) Yield will depend on size of cookies.