Chewy Reese's Pieces Cookies

Yet another variation of the fantabulous Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie. First there was the original. Then came M&Ms.

Now? Well, Reese's Pieces, of course.

I have to give credit where credit is due, so it's true that these were actually my husband's idea.

We had plans with friends last night and I mentioned that I wanted to make cookies for dessert. We had leftover Reese's Pieces in the cupboard from my cupcake bites, and Michael suggested throwing them into the cookies instead of chocolate chips.

Interesting concept, for sure. And let's be honest--there's no way cookie dough + Reese's Pieces would not work out well.

And so Chewy Reese's Pieces Cookies were born.

Chewy Reese's Pieces Cookies
Makes approximately 15-18 large cookies

Ingredients:
- 2 cups + 2 tbsp. (10 5/8 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 12 tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
- 1 cup packed (7 oz.) light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz.) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1 - 1 1/2 cups plain M&Ms

Directions:
1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the Reese's Pieces to taste.

4. Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough (since I weighed the dough, I did 2.2 oz. per cookie) into a ball. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough’s uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.

5. Bake until the cookies are light golden grown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a metal spatula.