The Salted Cookie is back in action! And what better way to launch my newly redesigned blog than with these delicious cookies for a great cause. I’ve teamed up with OXO to bake up a new recipe to benefit Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. A secret ingredient in these Salted M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies make them extra soft, chewy and delicious. The best part about these cookies is you can use any of the seasonal M&M colors to bake them year round.
OXO has been one of my favorite brands in the kitchen for as long as I can remember, so I was really excited when they reached out about their #OXOGoodCookies campaign to benefit Cookies for Kids Cancer. I’m already a huge supporter of this good cause, having participated in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap for the past four years, and even organizing a company bake sale two years ago to benefit the organization where we raised over $5000 in one day! I’m telling you, coworkers LOVE cookies.
About a week ago a few key supplies showed up at my front door courtesy of OXO to help me whip up a new recipe: the Non-Stick Half Sheet Pan, a Medium Cookie Scoop and a Cookie Spatula.
I’ve learned my lesson over the years of the importance of investing in good quality cookie sheets. I always throw a sil-pat or a sheet of parchment paper on top too, which helps to protect the cookies from burning as well as keeps the cookie sheet looking nice for a lot longer. The cookie scoop is one of the best things I’ve ever discovered because it helps keep all of the cookies uniform in size which lowers the risk of burning some cookies while others are undercooked.
On a recent trip to Target to restock my baking cabinet, I stocked up on lots of fall baking essentials, including some fall colored M&Ms. The key to a good M&M cookie is to have a solid chewy cookie base that is not going to be too thin or crispy. If you search around for a good chewy chocolate chip cookie you’ll see that many food bloggers have discovered the handy trick of adding a few tablespoons of vanilla pudding mix into the batter to help achieve the chewy texture. Throw in some mini chocolate chips and you’ve got yourself a good cookie!
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In your mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Add in the vanilla extract and egg and beat until fluffy.
Step 2: Scrape down the side of the bowl before adding in the dry ingredients. Mix together the flour, pudding mix, baking soda and salt and slowly add to the wet batter while mixing on a low speed.
Step 3: Fold in the mini chocolate chips and M&Ms until evenly distributed.
Step 4: On a sil-pat or parchment-lined baking sheet, use a medium cookie scoop to place even-size balls of dough at least an inch and a half apart. I fit 8 cookies per sheet. Press down lightly with your fingertips and sprinkle with a dash of coarse sea salt.
Step 5: Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, and let them sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack and enjoy!
There’s nothing better than biting into a soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie, with the crunch of the M&M and the hint of saltiness that follows.
I posted to Facebook this week that I was looking for taste testers to help take all of the baked goods I am making in an attempt to catch up on a few blog posts, and had tons of ready, willing and able volunteers. So I sent this whole batch of these to my friend Figgy in NYC who sent back a rave review with multiple thumbs up this morning.
For more information about OXO‘s involvement with Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, visit oxogoodcookies.com. To learn more about this worthy cause, visit cookiesforkidscancer.org.
Yield: 2 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 25 Minutes