Tuesday, September 8, 2020

M&M Butter Cookies

One of my friends has a group on Facebook for folks to share what they're cooking, spurred on by COVID-19 quarantine. He typically asks a food-based question every day. A few months ago the question was about your favorite cookie. He mentioned that his were the chocolate chip cookies from the Original Cookie Company in the local mall. I had completely forgotten about this place, but the suggestion immediately brought back memories of my favorite childhood cookie - their M&M butter cookie. Warm and soft with great vanilla flavor, dotted with multi-color M&Ms (no blue M&Ms in the 80s!)  

So, like any respectable self-proclaimed cookie monster, I now wanted one of these cookies. A quick Google search found a recipe claiming to taste exactly like the ones from the Original Cookie Company, but it, of course, contained wheat flour. A little bit of research on flour blends and I decided which flour and starches to use. My son and I made the cookies and loved them, though we decided a bit more vanilla and salt may make them better. Also, the crumb wasn't quite soft enough, so we wanted to try again and increase the xanthum gum. Second time around was perfection! Everyone loves them and says they don't taste gluten free - which I consider quite a complement in a cookie! 

Here's an article I found on Original Cookie Company. The third image is like the store I visited as a kid.

(Note that this cookie is not just a chocolate chip cookie with M&Ms instead of chips. A classic chocolate chip cookie has brown sugar and this cookie is purposefully lacking that flavor component.)

M&M Butter Cookies
makes about 48, 3" cookies
  • 1-1/2 c white rice flour
  • 3/4 c tapioca starch
  • 3/4 c potato starch
  • 2 tsp xanthum gum
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 c butter, softened
  • 1-1/2 c sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large bag of M&Ms (the 38 oz "party size" leaves you with a nice amount of leftovers)
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with silpat or parchment.
  2. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with a whisk. Set aside.
  3. In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing between additions.
  5. Add vanilla and mix well.
  6. Add half the mixed dry ingredients and mix on low until combined. Add the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
  7. For best results, chill for about 10 minutes while you clean up the kitchen. (I also store the dough in the fridge anytime I'm not actively scooping cookies.)
  8. Pour M&Ms into a small bowl (like a large custard dish) so you don't waste any M&Ms. (I wouldn't eat M&Ms that had raw cookie dough rolled in them.)
  9. Scoop a heaping cookie scoop (about 1 Tbsp) and roll into a ball. Roll the top half in M&Ms (as pictured.) They spread quite a bit, so make sure to leave plenty of space. I fit 8 on my standard-size cookie sheets.
  10. Bake for about 11 minutes, depending on your oven. (My oven cooks unevenly, so I rotate the cookie sheet after 5 minutes). You want to take them out when they're puffy, undercooked, and just a bit golden on the edges. Allow them to rest on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before moving to a rack.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Hiatus

It's been a long time since I've posted, mainly because the energy drain of pregnancy was taking up my blogging time! Now I have a beautiful 1 month old little girl and have even less time to blog. I anticipate that the blog will continue to be on hiatus for a while. I do occasionally post on Facebook and I'm an active pinner on Pinterest, so feel free to follow me on one of those sites.

Monday, June 17, 2013

The Week Ahead... 6/17/13

What a weekend! We had my son's 3rd birthday party on Saturday and Father's Day on Sunday. The birthday party was construction-themed, fitting for my little "Engineer Junior". I hope to do a post about all the food later this week.  Meanwhile, here's what's on deck for this week.


Menu for the Week of June 17th

Monday: neighbor's graduation party
Tuesday: Make-ahead Layered Salad using leftover pork tenderloin
Wednesday: grilled veggies
Thursday: salad with grilled chicken
Friday: pizza
Saturday: sausage and veggies

Sunday, June 9, 2013

My Thoughts on Laundry and The Week Ahead... 6/10/13

Laundry is the gift that keeps on giving. Problem is, it's a gift I (and most others I know) don't want. Wouldn't it be great if laundry just did itself, particularly the folding part? We are so bad about folding laundry that we have four laundry baskets and an expandable "back-up" basket. I know...pathetic.


Menu for the Week of June 10, 2013

Monday: rice & beans, tomato
Thursday: beet salad
Friday: ?

Friday, June 7, 2013

Grilled Eggplant Stacks


In my last post I noted that I'm trying to grill more as it get warmer. Although, with Tropical Storm Andrea swinging past close enough to make it a yucky, rainy day today, I think I'll skip on tonight's planned grilling session.

This past Tuesday was gorgeous: mid-70s and dry! My son and I played on the deck while I grilled dinner and then we ate on the deck. My Girl Scout troop meeting was even held on the deck! We had eggplant stacks and they were amazing. You can't go wrong with prosciutto and fresh, smoked mozzarella cheese.

Some people would argue that anything with eggplant is wrong, but I think it's an acquired taste. I started out with a variety called graffiti that I get at our farm market. The skin seems to be thinner than some other varieties. I have since graduated to normal, grocery store varieties, such as these pictured here. The first key to preparing eggplant is to salt it and let it sit for about 20 minutes. This removes some of the moisture and makes it less rubbery when you cook it. I press kosher salt into both sides of each slice and place it in a colander over the sink. Make certain to rinse each piece before cooking!


I top each stack with a red pepper spread, which I cheat and purchase from Trader Joe's. I use it on so many different things from sweet potato to fried egg sandwiches to this recipe. My father-in-law enjoys it on ham or turkey sandwiches.



Grilled Eggplant Stacks
  • eggplant, sliced 1/4" thick
  • course kosher salt
  • olive oil (I use my Misto for this recipe)
  • smoked mozzarella, sliced 1/4" thick
  • prosciutto, slice each piece in half to fit eggplant
  • roasted red pepper spread
  1. Salt eggplant as described above. Preheat grill with all burners on high.
  2. Rinse and dry eggplant and spray or brush on olive oil. Place on grill over medium heat. (I place the food over my two center burners, which are turned off. The two outer burners are on medium-high heat.) Grill for about 5 minutes or until you get good grill marks and the eggplant has softened some.
  3. Flip eggplant over and place a piece of prosciutto and mozzarella on each eggplant slice. Grill for about 5 minutes more.
  4. Remove from grill, top with red pepper spread, and serve!


This recipe has been shared on Vegetarian Mamma's Gluten Free Fridays and Allergy Free Alaska's Whole Food Fridays.



Tuesday, June 4, 2013

The Week Ahead... 6/3/2013

Now that the summer heat is upon us, I'm turning to grilling a bit more to avoid the oven and adding heat to the house. This does require me to re-tool my meal planning, though, and find new, grill-able standards.


Menu for the Week of June 3, 2013

Monday: leftover rice and beans
Tuesday: grilled eggplant with prosciutto, smoked mozzarella, and roasted red pepper sauce
Wednesday: baked beans with chicken sausage and chard
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: grilled bison steak, grilled veggies, potato salad

Friday, May 31, 2013

Sweet Potato Sweetie Packs (for campfire, grill, or oven)


I love sweet potatoes. They are, hands down, one of my most favorite foods. I will even eat them for breakfast. I could go on Bubba-style (think Forrest Gump) about the many ways I eat them, but I'll spare you!

Last week I was considering food my three year old would likely eat for our camping trip and arrived at an old favorite: grilled ham steak, pineapples, and yams. My grocery store doesn't sell a lot of canned vegetables, which overall is a good thing, but annoying when you want canned yams. Then I remembered that I had two large sweet potatoes in the pantry and also remembered how good my last batch of grilled sweet potatoes was... this would mean that I would not have to go to a second grocery score... score!

I used the same method as before and they tasted AMAZING! They work on the campfire, grill, or in the oven. When we camp I prepare the pack before we leave and put it in a gallon zip bag in the cooler; that way all I have to do is throw it on the coals.


Sweet Potato Sweetie Packs
  • sweet potatoes, sliced (however many you need for your group) - I used two HUGE ones
  • butter (I use Earth Balance spread) - I used about 2 Tbsp.
  • honey (coconut palm sugar or sweetener of choice if vegan) - I used about 1 Tbsp.
  • cinnamon - I used about 1/2 tsp.
  • heavy duty aluminum foil (don't even think about skimping on this!)
  1. Set out a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil. For two huge sweet potatoes I used a piece that was about 2' long. I also use the wider (18") heavy duty aluminum foil for foil packets.
  2. Smear butter on the aluminum foil, where the potatoes will go.
  3. Place half the potatoes on the foil. Drizzle honey over potatoes, scatter a few pats of butter, and shake on some cinnamon.
  4. Add the remaining potatoes on top.
  5. Gather the long sides of the foil and roll to close. Roll in each short side to form a packet. If I'm camping I put this packet in another sheet of foil to create a second packet around the first.
  6. Cook and enjoy!
    • Campfire: Cook right on top of hot coals for about 40 minutes, flipping and turning about every 10 minutes.
    • Grill: Grill over hot, indirect heat for about 25 minutes.
    • Oven: I've never done it, but I would cook it in a 400°F oven for about 30 minutes.

Mmmm... butter AND honey AND cinnamon!

On the grill (along with a chicken)!

Yummy perfection!

This recipe has been shared on Diet, Dessert, and Dogs' Wellness Weekend, Vegetarian Mamma's Gluten Free Fridays, and Allergy Free Alaska's Whole Food Fridays.