Peanut Butter Cherry M & M Cookies

I love peanut butter and I love MM's, especially the seasonal ones, and the Cherry Chocolate ones are my fave.  I wanted to use MM's to make cookies, Peanut Butter Cookies with MM's would be perfect.  I went to my friendly Walgreen's where they had a special on Valentine MM's, that worked out to be 2 bags for $3 with coupons and my  Rewards card!  I was in heaven. I got a bag of the Cherry Milk Chocolate MM's and a bag of of the regular Milk Chocolate Valentine MM's.  It's a good thing that I got two bags, because I ran out of the Cherry ones, and had to use the regular Milk Chocolate Valentine MM's, too, as you can see in the picture. the more MM's the better.  What are your favorite MM's?

Whatever kind of MM's you use, these cookies are wonderful; soft, chewy, with lots of peanut butter and MM's Cherry Chocolate. I used chunky peanut butter, because that is the kind that I like, so the cookies had an extra crunch. I didn't use natural peanut butter, because I have not gotten good results using it to bake cookies. Once baked, the cookies fall apart. If you like them crisper, leave them in the oven a minute or two longer. I did refrigerate the cookie dough, before I formed the balls, so they wouldn't spread so much. I baked them on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake a batch of these cookies for your Sweeties, and they'll love you forever.  I know that my Sweetie ate three of them last night. Now, I have to hide the rest, or make more, so I have some for my future Vaentine plans.  SHHH! Top Secret!

Peanut Butter Cherry MM Cookies

Yield: 2-3 dozen

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter  
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 3/4 all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Valentine MM Candies + more for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the butter and peanut butter until smooth.
3. Add the sugars and mix on high for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
4. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix on high for 1 minute.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
6. Add the flour mixture to the wet butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix again to ensure that everything has been incorporated.
7. Fold in the 3/4 cup MM candies.
8. Refrigerate dough for  at least 30 minutes, for best performance
9.  Using a cookie scoop, or hand roll 1 1/2” balls, flatten slightly to form a disc. Place on the prepared cookie sheet.
10.  With a fork, press a criss-cross pattern into the top of each cookie. Garnish with 2-3 additional MM candies on top.
11. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the cookies feel slightly firm to the touch and the edges and bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.  If you like crisper cookie, bake a minute or two longer.
12. Store in covered container for one week, or freeze.

Adapted from Java Cupcake

l linked up my recipe to Brandie@The Country Cook's Weekend Potluck #104
 Stop by and say Hi to Brandie!