Valentine M&M Sugar Cookies

Valentine M&M Sugar Cookies - made dough February 7, 2014 from So We Think We Can Cook

As I look at my repertoire for Valentine-themed treats, I realize so many of them are red velvet in some shape or form. I like a good red velvet but I also believe in all things in moderation, including food dyes. So here's one way to forego the food color but still stay on theme - add Valentine M&Ms to it. All the pink, red, fuschia and white M&Ms you like. At first I was going to make a chocolate chip M&M cookie or a Monster cookie but I decided to go with a sugar cookie so the girly colors would show up better against a more pale cookie. Plain M&Ms work better for this type of cookie than peanut M&Ms, simply because they're not only flatter and won't stick out as much in a sugar cookie but also because I don't like peanuts in a non-peanut butter cookie.

The only thing I don't like about baking with M&Ms, plain or peanut, is the ones on the outside will inevitably crack during baking so they're just not as pretty when baked. The colors also bleed into the cookie so they're just not as pretty. I tried to circumvent that with these cookies by withholding a handful of M&Ms and pushing them into the cookies as soon as I took them out of the oven. It sort of worked. They look better in the pictures but because of the candy shell, didn't melt and adhere to the baked cookies as much as I would've liked. Despite how it sometimes looks, this is a good cookie option for kiddie Valentine parties. Kids like M&Ms, you don't have to worry about peanut allergies with the plain M&Ms and the only food coloring is in the M&Ms instead of the teaspoons or tablespoons of red food dye that goes into red velvet baked goods (that'll be tomorrow's recipe, ha).

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla
3 C flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t cream of tartar
dash of salt
1 medium bag (12 oz) Plain M&M's, Valentine edition

1. Cream the butter and sugar for about 3 minutes, or until fluffy.&nbsp
2. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix for 2 more minutes.&nbsp
3. In a separate small mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients. Add to the butter mixture and mix until well combined. 
4. Pour in your M&M's and mix just until combined. Form into round balls (about 2 inches in size) and lay onto a cookie sheet (or chill or freeze for several hours). Press the tops down slightly. 
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until you see the cookies start to crack. If desired, press remaining M&Ms over the tops of baked cookies as soon as you remove from the oven.