"Into the forest I go, to lose my mind, to find my soul." (John Muir) For the second time in the past nine months I returned back to siren call of the Colorado mountains. The grandeur, beauty, and wonder of the Rocky Mountains never fails to deeply affect me. While there were moments when I wept, I was in a constant state of euphoria for six glorious days. Not even my hiking mishaps of falling into Nymph Lake, having a hallucinating moment believing I saw a mountain lion while on a trail, or being slightly overwhelmed at the challenge of crossing over stones covered by rushing water, could damper my exhilaration or sense of inner peace. From seeing big horn sheep run down and back up the mountains, to watching a bull moose make his way down from the mountain to the lake in the meadow, to watching a moose cow with her calf laying under some cinnamon pine trees, to seeing elk grazing, I was in wildlife heaven on this trip. Taking the train up to Pike's Peak on one of the most glorious days ever filled my head with images permanently etched in my memory. And with the exception of a brief lightning and thunderous storm, the weather and skies were more than I could have ever dreamt of or wished for. As much as I love being near the ocean, nothing restores my soul, my spirit more than spending time in the mountains. The sense of jubilation and sheer joy felt is almost indescribable. And even though I treasure spending time alone surrounded by the sounds of nature, I also thrive on human connections. Snippets of conversations with friendly, incredibly kind strangers on the trails along with having dinner with some friends were enough to sustain me until I returned home. While the effects of this trip are still with me (and hopefully will stay with me for a little while longer), I really, really do need to share the recipe for the oversized, crispy, sugary M & M Sugar Cookies I made more than a week ago. Quite possibly they are one of the best sugar cookies I have ever to come out of my kitchen.
Like the sight of the mountains, these cookies are a sight to behold. It's almost impossible not to smile just looking at them. A cookie loaded with the perennial favorite M&Ms and topped with a sanding sugar/granulated sugar mix might be one of the most perfect cookies to begin the summer season.
In the spirit of go big or go home, these were made on the larger side. Big enough to nibble on, or if you must, share with a friend, they are the most perfectly textured, balanced sugar cookie. At least I think so. And I was so confident of their impressive deliciousness I made up a small box to give to the pilots on my flight out to Colorado. Yes, I really did.
However, a cookie dough made with both butter and oil tend to be on the softer side. Which means it greatly benefits from a period of refrigeration. A minimum of 90 minutes in the refrigerator is needed to not only give them the right scooping consistency but to prevent them from over spreading or worse yet, flattening, in the oven.
After scooping the cooke batter onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, use a glass to slightly flatten them before pressing a few more M&Ms on top and then giving them a heavy dose of the granulated/sanding sugar mixture. Note: The cookies should be at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
In a preheated 350 degree (F) oven, the cookies bake for 15-17 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Once baked the cookies need to remain on the baking sheet for 15-20 minutes to help the edges crisp up a bit more before transferring them to a cooling rack.
If you are a big fan of super soft sugar cookies, aka in the Lofthouse style, these are not for you. But if you are all about a sugar cookie with a melt in your mouth crispness to them, these are the Greek mythological sirens calling your name. While chocolate chip cookies might be the fan favorites of many (including me), these M & M Sugar Cookies definitely need to go into your cooking baking rotation starting this summer. Use red, white and blue holiday M&Ms to make them holiday festive! Or keep them rainbow happy with the traditional M&M mix.
With Memorial Day weekend just days away, make your weekend one for the ages and bake up a batch of these M & M Sugar Cookies and watch both the eyes of children and adults get as big as saucers! If ever there was a cookie good for the sugar cookie loving soul, it would be these. Definitely these. Because what is not to love about a buttery, sugary, crispy, flaky, and chocolatey cookie?
Recipe
M & M Sugar Cookies (aka best sugar cookies)
Makes 11 four inch plus sized cookies
Ingredients
1/2 cup (114g) unsalted butter, preferably European style unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (63g) confectionary sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
1/2 slightly rounded teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups (300g or 10 1/2 ounces) M&Ms divided
1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (67g) sanding or sparking sugar
Directions
1. Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and Kosher salt.
2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter (approximately 2 minutes) scraping down the sides when done.
3. Add each of the following ingredients separately, beating well between each addition: granulated sugar, confectionary sugar, canola oil, and egg.
4. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the bowl and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon.
5. Stir in 1 1/4 cups of the M&Ms.
6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 90 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Mix together the 1/3 cup of granulated sugar and 1/3 cup of sanding/sparking sugar and set aside.
8. Use an ice cream scoop (I used a 2 1/4 inch size scoop) and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Space cookies out at least two inches. Top each cookie with a small piece of parchment paper and using a clear glass, press cookies down slightly (to slightly more than 1/4 inch thickness.) Use the remaining 1/4 cup of M&Ms to top each cookie (about 6-7 candies per cookie). Generously sprinkle with the granulated sugar/sparkling sugar mixture. Note: I recommend baking only 6 cookies on a sheet.
9. Bake cookies for 15-17 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges, rotating the baking sheet midway.
10. Let cookies rest for 15-20 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
11. Once cool, immediately place cookies in a sealed container or wrap in cellophane bags if not serving them immediately.
Notes: (1) These cookies are best when enjoyed within two to three days after baking. After that they get a bit soft. (2) If you don't have or can't find sanding or sparkling sugar, use granulated sugar. (3) If you bake these cookies smaller to get a larger yield, adjust your baking time accordingly.
Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver, Colorado (May 2021)
