Giant M&M Cookies
Everyone loves a great cookie. Especially one that’s full of bright and colorful mini M&Ms. These cookies are as big as your hand and have a perfect crispyness around the edges and chewiness in the center. I’ve been on a big cookie kick recently. I think they’re my latest favorite dessert type. I decided to make a list of some of the things I love about cookies.
Cookies are portable. You can just grab a cookie and go. Or set them out and not have to worry about forks and plates or a knife to cut portions.
Cookies (or cookie dough) can be frozen. I like to make a double batch of cookies at a time. I figure while I’m making a mess, might as well make it worth the effort. One of my favorite things to do is portion out the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet and freeze them. Once they’re completely frozen, drop them into a ziplock bag. Then if you are craving a cookie, just pop one onto a tray and bake it up. Nothing beats a freshly baked cookie! You can also freeze most cookies after they’ve been baked.
Cookies ship well. I live in Boston. Most of my family lives in the Midwest. I like to send them goodies every now and again and cookies are my go-to. I like to bake them, then freeze them, then ship them off to unsuspecting friends and family members. They defrost while traveling and are ready to be gobbled up when they arrive.
Cookie dough is AMAZING. I don’t think I have to explain this one. Everyone loves raw cookie dough. If you don’t, I don’t think we can be friends. In fact, until a recent Browned Butter and Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookie came into our lives, Hubby always prefered chocolate chip cookie dough over a baked cookie.
What is your favorite thing about cookies?
One Year Ago: Crockpot Ham with Beer and Chutney Glaze, Funfetti Blondies, and Chipotle Pork Stew
Two Years Ago: Alton Brown’s Broiled, Butterflied Chicken
Giant M&M Cookies
These cookies are the size of your hand and chock full of colorful mini M&Ms
Yield: 18 large cookies (or 36 small cookies)
Ingredients:
2 cups + 2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 sticks (12 Tbsp) of salted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup mini m&m’s
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Mix the flour and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix the butter and sugars until they are combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir until mixed. Gradually add flour and mix until a dough forms – it will look crumbly at first, but it will come together. Stir in the M&Ms.
Divide the dough how you choose (1/4 cup portions for 18 large cookies or 2 tablespoon portions for 36 smaller cookies). Shape each portion into a ball with your hands then flatten slightly on the cookie sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes (large cookies) or 8-12 minutes (small cookies) or until the edges are slightly brown. The centers should be soft and puffy. Do not over bake. Let cool completely.
Recipe from How Sweet It Is, originally adapted from Cook's Illustrated
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
If Carlos claims this is the best thing you have ever made … I might have to make them tonight!
beantownbaker — February 10th, 2014 @ 9:57 am
Let me know if you do. I was seriously SHOCKED when he said that.
OH. MY. LORD.
Yeah, I can see why these are the best ever!!!! Love Samoas!
I grew up calling them Samoas and didn’t like them when I was selling them, but have since grown to love them. Great twist on a traditional rice krispie treat!
beantownbaker — February 11th, 2014 @ 12:14 pm
I can’t tell if the naming thing is regional or not. I know people who grew up in Indiana like me who call them Samoas. They’ll always be Caramel Delites to me.
they look sooooo good!
Sharing these in my friday link roundup!
Everyone needs to see these!
beantownbaker — February 13th, 2014 @ 8:49 pm
Thanks for sharing them!!
oh jeez. caramel de lites here, too
these sound killer!
beantownbaker — February 23rd, 2014 @ 12:47 pm
You’re the first person I’ve met who calls them Caramel de Lites too!
I’ve been wondering why they aren’t always called Samoas!
Are the pecans there for the Samoa flavor or just an extra addition?
beantownbaker — March 18th, 2014 @ 8:03 am
They add some texture but you could leave them out if you wanted.
Awesome recipe! Let me provide a little insight to the naming of the cookies (Caramel deLights vs Samoas my wife is a girl scout troop leader). The girl scouts rely on a few bakeries to produce their cookies. Caramel deLights are made by one bakery, while Samoas are made by another.
Just made these – very tasty, but I had a lot of trouble with the caramel layer. It hardened so much, I couldn’t cut the squares. I had to heat them up a bit to cut through the caramel, and then they got rather sticky and did not cut cleanly. Followed directions exactly, not sure what went wrong…
On Sunday nights, my hubby leads a college-age Bible study group and I use the kids/young adults as my guinea pigs for trying new recipes. I made these yesterday and they LOVED them. Thank you for the recipe!
beantownbaker — September 2nd, 2014 @ 6:59 pm
So glad these were a hit for you! This has become my most frequently made and requested recipe that I’ve made.
Explained well.