Ingredients:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 ½ cups plain M&M's
Instructions:
- Prep the Dry Ingredients: Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Prep the Oven and Tray: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream the Fats and Sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (this should take 3–4 minutes).
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing briefly after each addition until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing only until just combined. Stop immediately when no streaks of flour remain—do not overmix.
- Fold in M&M's: Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to gently fold in 1 ¼ cups of the M&M’s.
- Scoop and Chill (The Crucial Step): Using a 3-Tbsp cookie scoop, scoop uniform balls onto a plate or a small lined tray. Chill the dough balls for a minimum of 45 minutes.
- Bake the Cookies: Place the chilled dough balls 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets (no more than 6–8 per standard tray).
- Bake: Bake for 10–12 minutes. The edges should be set and lightly golden, but the centres should still look slightly undercooked and pale.
- The Finishing Touch: Immediately upon removing the cookies from the oven, gently press 3–4 reserved M&M's onto the tops of each cookie.
- Cool Down: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes (they will continue to set up). Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.