Baking M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies

This the season to bake cookies.  I made chocolate chip and M&M cookies the other night (remembering to take pictures). I also made Christmas cutout cookies (not remembering to make cookies).  I would love to share the recipes so that you can make your own this holiday season.

But first, I love my Silpats!!!  (Thanks Amy for buying my first one to get me addicted).

"Not so" Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

based on http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/18476/Original-NESTL%C3%89-TOLL-HOUSE-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies/detail.aspx

2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda (sometimes I add a little paking powder for a cake-like cookie)
1 tsp salt
2 sticks of margarine, room temperature
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla (if you want to make it a little different- try almond YUM)
2 eggs
1/2 bag choc chips
bunches of M&Ms (whatever you feel you can spare)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a mixer bowl until creamy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating after each.  Add flour, baking soda and salt and mix until incorporated.  Stir in chip and candy.  Drop with wonderful cookie scoop on to wonderful Silpat or with a spoon onto a ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 9 to 11 minutes.

Christmas Cookies (based on recipe from my mother so I don't know where it came from)

3 sticks of margarine
1 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla (I used Almond which adds a little something extra)
1 egg

Beat well and then mix with:

4 c flour
1 tsp baking powder

Roll out like dough (I swear that is exactly what my mom's directions say).  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bake 8-10 minutes on a greased cookie sheet (or Silpat).

Like most of my mom's recipes, it is missing a few steps but they are implied.  Flour a surface and use a floured rolling pin to roll out the dough.  Cut into wonderful festive shapes, currently I made christmas trees, stockings, candy canes, and gingerbread boys.  I take the easy way out and put the sugar sprinkles on and then bake.  My mother always frosted them after they came out of the oven and put sprinkles on then.  My husband prefers them without frosting and prefer not to make it so it all works out well :)

I wish I took pictures of mine but I made them when I was exhusted but I was trying to get ready to go see Santa (now you get why we needed the cookies).  We ate yummy paninis and christmas cookies while in line to see Santa.  It was a nice treat and I hope that you all enjoy the recipes for your own families.