valentine's day cookies

I love to bake. I have for as long as I can remember, and it's only grown. The amount of recipes I have saved on my computer is insane, plus all the cookbooks I have! It's just so much fun for me, and I love sharing the final product with everyone. 
This weekend I made Valentine's Day Cookies, which are basically chocolate chip/m&m cookies, with Valentine's Day M&Ms. They turned out pretty great in my personal biased opinion! 

My handy dandy KitchenAid mixer! I was lucky enough to inherit this one from my parents when they decided to get a new one (this one is almost as old as me!). It's my best friend when it comes to baking.

This recipe required that you roll it into balls and then stick it in the fridge for at least two hours. I've found that this is actually something you should always do with cookie dough, even if it isn't in the recipe! It just makes for better cookies all around.

Valentine's Day Cookies (recipe from Averie Cooks)

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)

3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix (not sugar-free and not 'cook & serve'), OR use 2 teaspoons cornstarch in place of pudding mix

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch salt, optional and to taste

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup milk chocolate M&M's mixed into the dough + about 1/2 cup for placing on top of dough mounds

DIRECTIONS:

1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, pudding mix (or cornstarch), baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
3. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the chocolate chips, 3/4 cup M&Ms, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
4. Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form 15 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly.
5. Add about 1 tablespoon M&Ms to the top of each dough mound. (I skipped this step. I found that mine were already overflowing with M&Ms and chocolate chips!)
6. Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
7. Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart and bake for 11 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center. (Mine took more like 13-15, but my oven always takes longer!) Cookies firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and then transferred to a rack.
8. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Happy baking!

-Kylie