These crispy cookies are sprinkled throughout with crushed M&M’s® Peanut for a chocolaty, nutty treat that is both sweet and salty.
There’s a saying that guilty pleasures are the most pleasurable of all, and that to revel in such guilt is the greatest of joys. That’s how I tend to approach dessert. Dessert, by its very nature, is not meant to be virtuous. A dessert that is suffered through, or that is merely ‘sufficient,’ or that requires ‘effort’ to enjoy, is not a dessert at all. On the contrary, dessert is decadence in culinary form. It exists purely as a means to enjoyment, both visually and to one’s palette, with no other redeeming features. That is the beauty of it.
However, let’s be honest, more often than not the best time to eat a dessert is rarely at the end of a meal. Does anything really taste better than savoring a bar of chocolate at precisely the ‘wrong time of day?’ Or sneaking that midnight slice of cake?
It is precisely those moments of ‘delightful guilt’ where desserts, or sweets in general, taste the best. That was what I had in mind when preparing today’s recipe – Easy Peanut M&M Cookies. After all, I can attest from personal experience that few things ease stressful moments at the desk as well as a simple cookie. Add in a coffee or tea, and you’re set to recharge and destress.
These are a deliberately lighthearted, fun twist on more conventional cookie recipes, with the bright colors and distinct crunch of the M&Ms imparting a bit of seasonal flare to the familiar recipe. The addition of instant coffee and brown sugar add a bit of rustic ‘grounding’ to the sweetness, creating a flavor profile that will please even the most discerning of palettes.
Living the Gourmet
Yields 2 dozen
5 minPrep Time
12 minCook Time
17 minTotal Time
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Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 egg
- 1½ cups flour
- 1 tbs. instant coffee
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 cup Peanut M&M’s® Peanut, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat Oven 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl combine the sugars, butter and egg; mix with an electric mixer on medium until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking soda and instant coffee and chopped Peanut M & M’s: mix on low speed until a cookie dough is formed.
- Place dough by a rounded teaspoonful on un-greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake 12 – 15 minutes or until golden.
- Let the cookies cool for a minute or two before removing to a cooling rack.
While I’ll certainly be eating a few of those after dinner, I’ll be honest and say that the large majority of these cookies will be consumed at my desk during those overlong hours.
What are some of your favorite recipes for unwinding? We would love to hear from you.
Enjoy with Love!
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