Cookie burnout – if it’s a real thing, I think I have it. Over the past week or so I’ve been working to develop a few new cookie recipes and as a result, I’ve eaten more cookies than I’d care to admit. One batch after another, the cookies emerged from the oven and of course need to be sampled so I could decide if the latest tweak to the recipe was successful. When I thought I couldn’t eat another cookie I tried to engage poor Shane as the taste tester, but quickly realized that the inquisition which followed (Are they chewy? Soft enough? How’s the chocolate flavor? Too few M&Ms?) wasn’t fun for either of us.
Though let’s be honest, any time I make a new recipe what follows is at least five rapid-fire questions directed at Shane to help me decide if the recipe is blogworthy. Between that and the lukewarm dinners we often eat after I’m done taking photos, sometimes I can’t help but wonder what he really thinks about living with a food blogger. Sure, there’s no shortage of tasty food, but at what price? π
Anyway, it was all worth it, because in the end I wound up with a cookie I really loved. I’m a soft and chewy cookie girl all the way, I’d be hard-pressed to come up with even a few thin and crispy cookies that I enjoy. So of course these cookies had to be soft and chewy, and they are! I put a few aside to see if they had staying power, and even on day 4, they still had that great texture. Have you guys heard about the trick of adding cornstarch to your cookies to make them super soft? I first saw it here on Kelsey’s blog years ago but only tried it for the first time in this recipe. What an easy trick to get soft cookies! I used mini M&M’s in my cookies because for whatever reason I much prefer them over chocolate chips, but the choice is yours.
I think I just might bake another batch of these using only the yellow and black M&M’s in support of the Bruins for tonight’s game. Apparently my cookie burnout was short-lived π
Soft and Chewy Double Chocolate M&M Cookies
from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures
{Note: I press a few M&M’s into the tops of the cookie dough balls before baking so the M&M’s stay on top and the cookies are more colorful after baking. You can do the same thing with chocolate chips if you want.}
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mini M&Ms
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together (you could just whisk, but I like to sift cocoa powder to make sure I get all the lumps out). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and then the vanilla. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients, beating just until combined. Mix in the mini M&M’s.
Using a small cookie scoop (mine measures about 1 1/2 inches across), portion the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 8 minutes (rotating the baking sheets halfway through if you’re doing both at once) or until the edges of the cookies are set (the centers may look underdone – don’t overbake!). Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the cookies cool for a few minutes then remove the cookies to the wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with all of the dough.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies
Cute cookies!
So beautiful! these look delicious!
These sounds awesome and I with you on the cookie burnout. I made 3 batches of the same cookie in one day. But like you said, in the end it was worth it!
I want these SO much right now!!
They’re gorgeous!!WOW!!!!
I’ve been using cornstarch in cookies for about a year now – best trick ever! It’s what pudding mix is made of (usually cornstarch is the first ingredient or nearly) and those cookies always turn out super soft.
I love that you used a chocolate cookie base. And the M&Ms. So perfect! You MUST hand press those in? They are just too perfect not to be strategic about it. Do tell!
@Averie: Thank you! π And yes, I did hand press a few M&M’s into the tops of the cookies. It just makes them look so much more colorful. I actually meant to note that in the post, thanks for the reminder!
I’m a huge fan of these cookies, thanks for making them!
If you have cooking burnout feel free to send some this way. They look great!
There are some costs for the loved ones of food bloggers haha. I have yet to have enough cookies to be cookie’d out, but I’m sure it’s possible…eventually π
I made something similar recently, so good!! I love M&M’s in cookies, and these are adorable!
There’s something about dark chocolatey cookies with little rainbow pops of color that make me crazy. These look delicious!
They look so yummy and cute <3 Love them!
I love adding cornstarch to cookies. Makes them so soft. Although I have noticed just the tiniest bit too much corn starch can make it cakey, which isn’t yummy in a cookie π
Good luck separating the m&ms haha π
Beautiful cookies. I haven’t tried the cornstarch trick yet but I am definitely going to next batch of cookies I bake up. I love soft and chewy cookies too!
You and I must be cookie twins because soft and chewy is the way I roll also! Love that these are double chocolate. The more the merrier!
Those look so soft and delicious!
M&M cookie recipes are the best! I really want to try this recipe π
Cookie burnout?! Noooooo!! At least you ended up with these. I love that it’s a TCA original! I definitely need to try π
Shoot just wrote a comment and it deleted!
Making these right now! Just read- “Mix in the m&M cookies” after adding the wet ingredients to the dry π love funny typos!
Have never commented before but read and love your blog! I have always had success with your recipes and it is so nice to have a go-to place to find a fantastic no-fail recipe. Thanks Tracey!!
I’m particularly fond of soft and chewy cookies! Can’t wait to see what other cookies you’ve been coming up with!
That is some serious dedication to your team to pick out certain colors of M&Ms. These cookies sound awesome, but they’re getting all the colors.
Amazing cookies!
I made these yesterday and they are really great! Soft and with great flavor!
My 2 year old daughter loved them!
Thanks for sharing!
Ha, we have a ton of lukewarm dinners, too. Ahh, food blogging. π These cookies are adorable. You definitely should make some Bruins ones. I thought of you the other night when we were watching the game.
You make the prettiest cookies! I was craving M&M cookies earlier so these are on my “must make asap” list!
I was laughing as I read this, because I’m the same way! My poor husband has to field a million questions, and he always thinks everything I make is perfectly fine, so he thinks it’s pointless. I guess our men will just never understand the finer points of recipe development. π
Oh, yes please!!
Is it good? What can I do to make it better? B’s often answer is, “It’s okay.” which for him is very positive and I can make it agin.. Sometimes, tho…..I just want to get more.
It’s so hard to avoid cookie burnout – that’s why I usually send them into work with my husband. But I totally QC several… plus the cookie dough. I mean, it’s just irresistible! These look fantastic – love the contrast of the dark cookie with the brightly colored candies π
I love soft cookies, these look so perfect! I don’t think I could ever be done with cookies π
I made these over the weekend and true enough, they were still soft the next day, however, dry. π I want soft and moist. Any tips? Also, mine were puffy when I took them out of the oven and then they fell…
I found your blog recipe through a google search and it was just what I was looking for. I am a professional chef but not an exceptional baker. I only had cake flour on hand which already has cornstarch mixed in so I knew I would end up with soft cookies (I usually prefer the classic Toll House texture.) I had chocolate chips, M&Ms and peanut butter M&Ms so made a triple batch. They turned out exactly as expected. Thank you so very much. and, btw, the peanut butter M&M’s work great although they are larger than regular and twice the size of the minis.
Just tried making these and I was shocked at how amazingly they turned out! I’m a cookie dough eater and although the cookie dough tasted a little bit off, the cookies were amazing! Smooth and richly chocolately π Instead of using the cookie scoop I used a teaspoon measurement and they turned into adorable little cookie bites! I used the regular sized m&ms and it seemed to work out quite well! Thanks for such a wonderful recipe! I’m sure it’ll be raved about for many more batches to come π
I just made these with 1/2 cup of peppermint M&Ms and 1/2 cup chocolate chip. Amazing.
I made these with peanut butter cups and loved them! They’re even good with whole wheat flour and less sugar. π Thanks so much for the recipe! Very soft and chewy and just perfect.
Very yummy!! Made these tonight to take into work on Monday…hopefully they will make it there!