Thick & Chewy Double Chocolate M&M Cookies

A couple of weeks ago, I had the itch to bake. Life has been a bit crazy since the flood happened out here, but when work brought up that there was going to be a Halloween potluck, I just needed to bake SOMETHING.

Baking is one of those things that just makes me stop thinking about the other stressors in life. When it comes to baking, I just need to follow a recipe…no other thoughts required. 🙂 Also, the end product is usually something delicious.

I was flipping through my Cook’s Illustrated Baking Book, and this recipe just stood out to me. It calls for one full pound of chocolate, which to me, is always a winner. I just happened to have one of those pound bars of Trader Joe’s chocolate, so I think it was fate. These cookies had to happen. 🙂 In this recipe, there’s the option to make them triple chocolate, by mixing in chocolate chips, but I decided to add in some M&M candies instead.

These cookies were almost like fudge-y brownies in cookie form. They were soft/chewy and super rich, which always makes for a good cookie! You definitely need a glass of milk with a cookie like this, and I really couldn’t eat more than one. It is jam-packed with chocolate! I imagine these are going to be added to my holiday baking list, since they were such a hit with coworkers. How festive would these be with holiday M&Ms?

Thick & Chewy Double Chocolate M&M Cookies
Source: Cook’s Illustrated

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. table salt
• 16 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. instant coffee or espresso powder
• 10 tbsp. unsalted butter (1 ¼ sticks), softened but still firm
• 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup M&M candies

Directions:

1. Melt the semisweet chocolate in the microwave, by heating the chopped chocolate at 50% power for 2 minutes. Then, stir the chocolate, and heat the chocolate again at 50% power for 1 minute. Stir again, and if it isn’t melted, heat the chocolate for an additional 30-45 seconds at 50% power. Allow to cool, while completing the next steps.
2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set the dry mixture aside. Place the eggs and vanilla extract in a small bowl and beat the mixture lightly with a fork. Sprinkle the espresso/coffee powder over the egg/vanilla mixture and set it aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed for about 5 seconds, until smooth and creamy. Mix in the light brown and granulated sugars on medium speed until combined, for about 45 seconds (the mixture will look granular). Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and gradually add in the egg mixture, beating for about 40 seconds (or until incorporated). Turn off the mixer, and scrape the bottom and sides of the mixer bowl with a rubber spatula. Putting the mixer back on low speed, add in the melted chocolate in a steady stream and beat for another 40 seconds (or until combined). Turn off the mixer, and scrape the bottom and sides of the mixer bowl with a rubber spatula once again.
4. With the mixer on low speed again, add in the dry flour mixture and mix the dough for another 40 seconds (or until combined). Be careful not to overbeat the dough. Carefully fold in the M&M candies. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, and allow it to stand at room temperature until the dough appears to be scoopable and fudge-like (about half an hour).
5. While the dough is resting, adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Then, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 2 cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
6. Once the dough is ready, scoop the dough using a 1 3/4 inch diameter ice cream scoop and place each dough ball on a cookie sheet, being sure to leave about 1 1/2 inches between each dough ball.
7. Bake the cookies until the edges have begun to set, but the centers of the cookies are still very soft (about 10 minutes), being sure to turn the cookie sheets from front to back and switching from the top rack to the bottom rack about halfway into baking the cookies.
8. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven, and allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheets for about 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to the cooling sheets, and allow the cookies to finish cooling until they reach room temperature. Enjoy!