My kids recently came home with giant, partially eaten cookies that looked like a mouse nibbled the edges. My daughter, a black and white, and my son, an M&M cookie. He clearly wasn’t going to finish it so I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and eat it myself.
I was immediately reminded of how good M&M cookies are which led to my three week long, batch after batch (after batch after batch) cooking phenomenon I like to call: Betsy, stop eating cookie dough and finalize the damn recipe, recipe.
I wanted a cookie that was caramelized, thick, chewy but not tender, and filled to the brim with M&Ms. I think I did it.
M&M Cookies
226g (2 sticks) unsalted butter**
45g (4 tbsp) water**
250g (1 ½ cups, packed) brown sugar
150g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tsp salt
2 eggs
400g (3 ¼ cups) all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
250g (1 1/2 cups) M&Ms
**When you brown butter, a portion of the moisture/water cooks off. When I brown my usual two sticks of butter (costco brand), I lose about 50 grams of water. The amount of water I have listed above is based off of my technique (how much I brown the butter) and the type of butter (the percentage of water varies brand to brand).
In order for the cookies to turn out as intended, I would suggest using a scale. Measure the butter before cooking and then again after cooking. Whatever the difference in weight is, replace that with water.
Make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 375°. Melt the butter in a stainless steel pot over medium heat. Continue stirring, scraping the brown bits that form on the bottom of the pot, until the butter is golden and no longer bubbling (10 minutes). Pour into a heat resistant bowl making sure to include all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the mixture cool until nearly solid (feel free to throw into the freezer/fridge to speed up the process). **See note to the left on browning the butter**
Once the butter has solidified, combine it with the water, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until light, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and mix until blended.
Whisk the flour and baking soda together then add to the dough, continuing to mix for 2 minutes. Stir in the M&Ms by hand.
Using a size 20 scoop, bake for 11-12 minutes.
