XXL M&M Cookies

I have survived my first week back to classes. Things are going to be a whirlwind of business and I just hope I can survive it all. My friends and I realized that this year we had our "Last First Day of School"! After this year we'll all be, what I like to call "real adults" with "real jobs".

Class work this week has been hectic, but my life has become a bit more exciting for another reason besides school....

My housemates and started fostering 3 kittens from the Kingston Humane Society! They are so adorable, all 3 months old, all brothers and so full of energy that they never cease to amuse me. They're more independent than new born kittens, but still very little and very cuddly. Although I would definitely describe myself as more of a dog person, I cannot get enough of these kittens :)

Now, enough chit chat about my crazy life, let's get on to the recipe! If you like M&Ms, you'll love this recipe. It's quick, easy, and the cookies turn out delicious!

But they really are XXL and so you may want to hide a few of these bad boys away so you're not tempted to eat them all at once.

These cookies remind me of these huge bakery-style cookies they used to sell in my high school cafeteria (before the school system went health-conscious). They were always so warm and chewy, fresh from the oven. These M&M cookies are just like that!

Trust me, you'll never want to make anything else!

It's not the greatest quality picture, but I thought I'd throw in a picture of the kittens. This was the day we got them, and I was like a kid on Christmas and my birthday combined!

XXL M&M Cookies
Bake Time: 12-15mins     Yields: 18-20 cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 Tbsps vanilla extract
3 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chunks
1 bag M&Ms

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 F.
2) In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy and smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until completely combined.
3) In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add dry ingredients into your butter mixture, beating as you add it. Mix just until combined.
4) Add chocolate chunks and mix until even dispersed throughout dough. Scoop 1/4 cup of the dough per cookie onto the pan, being sure to leave lots of room between each cookie. Flatten the dough slightly, and press M&Ms evenly over the top of each cookie (This will help to hold the cookie together as it spreads out while baking).
5) Bake for 12-15 minutes, until cookie edges are golden brown. Let cookies cool for 10 minutes on the pan before transferring to a wire rack. Repeat the process with the remainder of the dough.

(Recipe adapted from Picky Palate)