Quick and Easy Candy Cookies

What comes to mind for most at the thought of Christmas cookies might be the tangy sweetness of sugar cookies; decorated in bright reds and greens and cut into seasonal shapes. Or the nutty indulgence of peanut butter cookies neatly crisscrossed and kissed by a milk chocolate Hershey. Our kitchen is usually filled with a vast array of cookies; snicker doodle, peanut butter, sugar, M&M, chocolate chip, and any other cookie one might venture to produce.

The men in my life: my father, my brother, and my wonderful boyfriend very much enjoy the chocolate inspired treats. Thus, M&M, chocolate chip, and peanut butter were first on my list of goodies this year. M&M and chocolate chip cookies are fairly simple to whip up, the recipe being the same for both. My family has no secret here: we use the classic back of the bag M&M recipe or the Toll House recipe for both sets of cookies. This year I did mix it up a bit however, by request of my boyfriend who is a chocolate fiend. Inspired by our trip to the grocery store to shop for baking supplies he asked that I add both milk chocolate and white chocolate chips to the cookies.

Now, the back of the bag Toll House recipe calls for semi-sweet chocolate chips, so you can imagine how inspired I felt when the idea to use milk chocolate chips instead hit me.  Of course, my loving boyfriend, who would not know what to do with a stick of butter if it hit him upside the head, would suggest such a marvelous feat. Thus, abashed I picked up both the milk chocolate and the white chocolate chips.

The result was a creamy sweet cookie that held its own against my Grandma’s classics. Though her cookies will forever hold a special place in my heart, I have to admit that my boyfriend’s idea was a genius one. Pictures will be forthcoming.

This time I used the Hershey Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe:

Prep time: 25 Minutes
Skill level: Beginner

Ingredients:

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract *(Note: I always use a little more vanilla about 2-3 teaspoons)
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

·         Heat oven to 350

·         Stir together flour, baking soda, salt. Beat together butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until creamy.

·         Add eggs and beat well.

·         Stir in both types of chocolate chips, or M&Ms

·         Using a spoon drop a bit in rows onto greased cookie sheets

·         Bake 8-10 minutes until cookies begin to get golden brown on the edges

Enjoy!