craving a classic

For the past few days I've had a somewhat inexplicable craving for the classic M&M cookie. You know the one--soft, chewy, colorful, and just a tiny bit more delicious than your standard chocolate chip. Kind of like the version they sell at Starbucks, but without the taste of mass production. 

As luck would have it, I had an unopened bag of M&Ms on the countertop in my kitchen. (Come to think of it, that bag was probably the source of the craving in the first place...) I didn't have a recipe on hand--I'm pretty sure I've never attempted this classic before--but they're a dime a dozen on the Internet. I combined a few recipes to accommodate the ingredients I had on hand, and...presto! Success on the first try!

Classic M&M Cookies
recipe adapted from allrecipes.com and Taste of Home

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon water
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups M&M plain candies


1. In a large bowl, blend shortening, butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla extract, and water. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. Stir in 1 cup of the M&M candies.

2. Drop dough by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. For extra color, press a few of the remaining M&Ms into top of each dough ball. 

3. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.
 
Yields about two dozen cookies.