Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies

Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies - made June 20, 2013 from Averie Cooks

Last cookie for the Cookie Palooza goodie bags.  I thought I had planned ahead and pre-made enough to fill 19 goodie bags.  As soon as I got home from work the night before the event, I turned on the oven and started cranking through all the frozen cookie dough in my freezer.  I parceled out the Caramel Fudge Brownies and the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars I'd already made and, as the various cookies cooled, started filling the bags.  Only to come up short by 3 bags.  Uh-oh.  I had enough Toffee Cashew Cookies to top off the other 3 bags but then that didn't give those last 3 bags the same variety as the first 16.  Can't have that.  A quick flip through my pin board of Baking Recipes I Want to Try and I pulled up this recipe.  Since I had successfully made cookies from Averie's blog before, it was minimal risk to try a new one.  By the time I realized I needed one more cookie batch, it was late so all I did was mix up the dough and get it ready to bake off first thing the next morning.

Unlike the Toffee Cashew Cookies, these didn't spread too much and remained obligingly at a good thickness.  A nice cookie to use with M&Ms as well.  I ended up making 21 goodie bags as I was paranoid I wouldn't have enough for everyone even after all that baking.  Only to get to the event and discover 6 more people had signed up and joined us and I ran out after all.  Oops.  Sorry to the people who didn't get one!  Oh well, it was fun to bake all that anyway :).

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
1 1/2 cups plain milk chocolate M&Ms

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well-creamed, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes (or use a hand mixer and beat for at least 7 minutes). Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, optional salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute. Add the M&Ms and fold in by hand.
2. Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form heaping mounds. Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds very slightly with your palm, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat, or parchment paper and place them on the baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center. Do not bake longer than ten minutes as cookies will firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.