I don't know if you've noticed, but I like cookies - a lot. And by cookies, I mean thick, soft, chocolate-laden cookies, with an emphasis on CHOCOLATE. So basically, I'm in love with these:
Soft-Baked M&M's Chocolate Chip Cookies... they're thick, soft, chewy, and not only chocolate-laden, but M&M's-laden. *Sigh*
But today's cookies have a cause (other than feeding my chocolate addiction, that is). The amazing people from OXO are holding their annual Bake a Difference campaign benefiting the Cookies for Kids' Cancer organization. They've committed to donating up to $100,000 to the organization in 2013 through specially-stickered baking product sales, bake sale matches, and other fundraising efforts. So, I wanted to help! For every blog post written in September dedicated to this campaign, OXO is donating $100 to help fight pediatric cancer; I just find it incredible that I can do something as simple as write about cookies here on this blog and help contribute to such a worthy cause. And guess what? You can help too!
OXO is contributing 25 cents for the sale of baking products specially-marked with this sticker:
Essentially, you can help by going shopping and loading up on kitchen essentials! It's a win-win. ;) There are also other ways you can get involved, and the OXO Good Cookies website has all the details.
In dedication to the Cookies for Kids' Cancer cause, I wanted to make cookies that really are for kids. I decided that super-soft M&M's cookies were only appropriate. :)
Surely you have memories of soft-baked cookies and M&M's, right? When I was young, my sister and I used to always get the free cookies they gave out at the grocery store, and sometimes if we were lucky, we'd get to choose the type of cookie they were giving out. I thought those cookies were perfection. I'm sure that these taste a million times better those store cookies, but there's something about them - the softness, the chewiness, and all the colorful M&M's - that make me feel like I'm that kid eating a free cookie again. Of course, since I'm more sophisticated than that now, I make them with dark chocolate M&M's and bittersweet chocolate chunks (because that's what grown-ups do, you know), but that doesn't take away from them being a total kid-classic.
I'm officially a proud M&M-Chocolate-Chip-Cookie-Lover again.
One last thing: once you scroll down to the recipe, you're going to notice something interesting about this one: cream cheese. Wait, what? YES! If you've never tried putting cream cheese in your cookies before, you might think I'm crazy, but it makes the most amazing soft, thick, and chewy cookies. You have to try it, right here, right now; these are some of my new favorites!
PrintSoft Baked M&M's Chocolate Chip Cookies
These soft and chewy cookies are loaded with M&M's and chunks of chocolate in every bite. It's a classic kid favorite at it's best!
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 12 minutes
- Yield: 18-20 cookies 1x
Ingredients
- 10 ⅝ ounces (2 ½ cups, spoon and level) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅝ teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 7 ½ ounces (1 cup) brown sugar
- 3 ½ ounces (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 9 ¼ ounces (1 ¼ cups) M&M's (I used the dark chocolate kind)
- 4 ½ ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (use semisweet if you prefer)
- extra m&m's and chopped chocolate for tops of cookies
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt until well-combined.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until smoothly combined, wiping down the bowl and beater as needed. Add the whole egg and egg yolk one at a time, beating each in until incorporated. Mix in the vanilla extract until incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix in on lowest speed just until partially combined, with the dough not yet even in texture. Add the M&M's and chopped chocolate and fold in with a flexible rubber spatula just until evenly dispersed into the dough, with no more streaks of dry ingredients still visible.
- Transfer the dough to an airtight container and chill for at least 4 hours before baking (the cookie dough will keep in the refrigerator for at least one week).
- To bake, preheat oven to 350ºF with an oven rack in the center position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop the cookie dough by 2 ¼ ounce (about ¼ cup) portions and roll into balls. Roll each ball between the palms of your hand to elongate into a tall cylinder-like mound, flattening the base to rest firmly on the lined baking tray. Space the mounds of cookie dough apart on the tray, with no more than 6 - 9 cookies on the tray at once. Press a few extra M&M's and pieces of chopped chocolate into the tops and sides of the cookies.
- Bake cookies in the preheated oven for 11-13 minutes, or just until the cookies are puffed up and the tops no longer appear wet, rotating the tray halfway through the baking time. Don't overbake! Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Do you guys have favorite cookies memories from when you were kids?
Disclosure: OXO provided me with a set of cookie-baking products to help me prepare this post. I was not compensated for writing this post in any way and all opinions expressed are 100% my own.
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Justin Pierce says
Another batch successfully complete! I know I said it not too long ago, but thank you so much! This year has been difficult for me financially and I don't think I could have done anything for my wonderful girlfriend if it hadn't been for this recipe. Some hand written love notes and a batch of your cookies should do the trick I hope.
Happy holidays :)
alexandra says
That's so sweet! Glad the cookies were able to help you out :)
Paul says
Very good, made them for my kids...and my daughter is a children's cancer survivor!
alexandra says
Aww, I'm so happy you shared that with me, and so happy to hear that your daughter got through that! Very glad you all liked the cookies!
Justin Pierce says
so it's almost 3 AM EST And I'm just now letting these bad boys cool down on the kitchen counter. I have made this recipe well over a dozen times since i discovered it in early 2014. It has become my go to recipe and I cannot fully express how happy I am with them each and every time. I make them as often as my budget allows and send them to my significant other in college. Its the closest thing I can get to giving her a hug when she's stressed out. Thanks a lot for sharing this outstanding recipe.
alexandra says
You have NO idea how happy it made me to read your comment this morning! Your SO is one lucky girl for sure. ;) Thanks for taking the time to tell me how much you've enjoyed the recipe!
Jen says
Thanks- you did get back with plenty of time :) I tripled the recipe and the cookies were a hit at school! I liked them a lot too (and oh boy the dough was delicious!) I will definitely make them again!
alexandra says
Good! And I'm so glad you all loved the cookies! I actually just made these again the other weekend... I think I had forgotten just how good they are!
Jen says
My son turns 4 on Tuesday (how is that possible?!?) and has requested m&m cookies to take to school for his snack. That means I'll be tripling the recipe- anything I need to look out for? Dos or don'ts that you would recommend when doing so? I'm really excited to try this recipe as I've been on a quest for soft choc chip cookies and have struck out a lot. Thanks for any suggestions you can offer! :)
alexandra says
Hi Jen,
I hope I'm getting back to you in time! I always try to write my recipes as thoroughly as possible, so the best thing you can really do is follow the recipe to a T - and weigh your ingredients if you have a kitchen scale. Definitely soften all your butter and cream cheese ahead of time (cut it into smaller pieces to help it soften faster), chill your dough, and don't overbake. This is one of my favorite recipes so I really hope your son and his friends love it. Let me know! :)