Somewhere Over the Rainbow...

I few days ago one of the blogs that I follow posted a recipe for "the best cookie recipe she has ever made."  This gal makes a lot of sweets!! Her site is even called "How Sweet it Is." So, I KNEW that I had to try them!

giant rainbow cookies

I had my kitchen floor refinished last week and we have had to stay out of the kitchen quite a bit, so I haven't been doing much baking.  Not to mention the heat index of 111 degrees!! Ugh!  But I had promised my youngest daughter we would do some baking... she voted for cupcakes, but I voted cookies! I won! ;) (cupcakes will come next week!)

The link to her blog where I got this recipe: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/07/giant-rainbow-cookies/

This is the recipe:

Giant Rainbow Cookies

makes 18 large or 36 small cookies

2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) of salted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup mini m&m’s (or something else that you love)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix the flour and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix the butter and sugars until they are combined (and look like the first picture above). Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir until mixed. Gradually add flour and mix until a dough forms – it will look crumbly at first, but it will come together. I even used my hands to help at one point. Fold in the m&m’s.

Divide the dough how you choose (1/4 cup portions for 18 large cookies or 2 tablespoon portions for 36 smaller cookies). Shape each portion into a ball with your hands then pull each ball into two equal pieces. Turn each half so that the rough side of the half (what used to be the inside of the ball) faces upwards and then squish both halves together. Place the dough rough-side up on a baking sheets. If you’re doing large cookies, I’d leave about 2 inches in between each.

Bake for 12-15 minutes (large cookies) or 8-12 minutes (small cookies) or until the edges are slightly brown. The centers should be soft and puffy. Do not over bake. Let cool completely then dig in!

hot and fresh from the oven

 

How Sweet It Is mentioned that one of her readers said this recipe was the batter for the Cooks Illustrated chocolate chip cookie.  It is a very sweet cookie recipe. I made a double batch, and used regular sized M&M's, making one batch with milk chocolate and one batch with dark chocolate, because when it comes to chocolate, we are a family divided.

 

 

I recommend you looking at her wonderful pictures of the baking steps before you try this recipe, not only because she is hilarious, but it explains just how to bake them.  My kids thought they looked like snowmen! Snowmen in July!!

 

Enjoy!