Peanut butter oatmeal cookies with M&M’s

December is a month filled with holiday parties. This year, don’t show up empty handed — make an impression!

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t It’s safe to say that the month of December is holiday party after holiday party. My schedule tends to fill up with holiday activities quicker than I can keep up with. Every weekend, I find myself at a party (or two) celebrating the joys of the holidays. However, whenever someone is hosting a party, I hate showing up empty-handed.

t Since I love baking, I’m a big fan of homemade hostess gifts. But anyone can make a batch of cookies, right? This year, I wanted to develop a treat that is both delicious and memorable.

t A few years back, I received MY M&M’s customized with my name and cute holiday messages. It was such a thoughtful gift, and it put a smile on my face every time I treated myself to some fun chocolate bites. I had forgotten about my personalized gift until recently, when I was at the grocery store and came across MY M&M’s. I was reminded how festive they make holiday desserts with their red, green and white shells.

t With my first big holiday party of the season coming up at a good girlfriend’s apartment, I thought it would be special to personalize some tasty holiday treats for her. I decided it would be a great idea to show my appreciation with fresh-baked, customized cookies using MY M&M’s — but not just any cookies. I made a batch of peanut butter oatmeal cookies, which are some of my favorites.

t To start, I grabbed a bag of MY M&M’s.

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t These cookies are made with just a few simple ingredients. You probably have most (if not all) of them in your pantry right now.

tChef’s note: Be sure to use regular, good old-fashioned peanut butter — not natural. The regular PB contains salt and stabilizers that help keep the cookies together.

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t You’ll need a blender or whisk for this part. Stir everything together until you have a well-blended mixture with the consistency of the peanut butter. And don’t forget to add the MY M&M’s. It’s such a simple touch, but it makes a big impact. Who wouldn’t love cookies that are personalized just for them?!

tChef’s note: Don’t use all the MY M&M’s. You are going to want to save a handful or two for some garnish when they come out of the oven. It’s not uncommon for the message on the MY M&M’s to blur a little when they bake in the oven.

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t Once the mixture is all folded together, you can use a small spoon to scoop out 2-inch dough balls and put them on a cookie sheet. Then pop them into the oven. When they are done (per the recipe instructions below), use a spatula and space them out on a wire rack to cool.

t And another fun fact to note: These cookies are wheat-free! They’re great for those who are wheat or gluten sensitive.

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t For the final touch, grab some of the saved MY M&M’s and press them into the top of each cookie to reveal the special message. Bring them to your holiday party and serve them with milk, tea or some “adult” beverages!

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Peanut butter oatmeal cookies with MY M&M’s

t Adapted from AmbitiousKitchen.com

t Yields about 16-20 cookies

t Here’s the recipe that I use. Try it and enjoy the holidays!

Ingredients:

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• 1 cup regular peanut butter (avoid using natural, if possible)

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• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

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• 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract

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• 2 large eggs

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• 2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

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• 1 teaspoon baking soda

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• 2/3 cup MY M&M’s, plus 2 tablespoons for garnishing on top

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Directions:

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1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together the oats and baking soda. Set the mixture aside.

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2. Using an electric mixer, cream together the peanut butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon, then gently fold in the MY M&M’s until combined.

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3. Scoop out 2-inch dough balls and place them on a lined cookie sheet. Flatten each cookie with your fingers. The dough is pretty sticky, so try flattening the cookies with wet fingers to avoid a mess.

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4. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown. Don’t worry if the cookies look a little underdone. They will continue to cook once you remove them from the oven. While they cool on the cookie sheet, garnish them with the remaining MY M&M’s and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.

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