Eric Kim chased the gooey, crackly texture of these beloved treats and offers a simple formula.
M&M Cookies
Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup/115 grams unsalted butter, very soft
* 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
* 1/4 packed cup/57 grams dark brown sugar
* 1 large egg, at room temperature
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) or 3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 1/2 cups/185 grams all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup/96 grams M&M's
Directions:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 large sheet pans with parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla and salt by hand until smooth and fluffy, at least 1 minute. Whisk in the baking soda, then switch to a rubber spatula. Add the flour, then carefully and coarsely chop the M&M's, and add them, too. Gently stir to combine. Place the bowl in the refrigerator while you wait for the oven to finish heating.
Using two spoons or a cookie scoop, plop out 2-tablespoon/50-gram rounds spaced a couple of inches apart on the sheet pans. (You should get about 8 cookies per pan.) Bake until lightly golden at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely on the sheet pan; they will continue to cook as they sit.
Total time: 30 minutes, makes about 16 cookies.