Soft M&M Cookies — Because Homemade Is the Only Kind That Counts

Sophia turned fourteen this week. Fourteen. My baby, my dramatic, brilliant, difficult baby is fourteen years old and I do not understand how this happened because I am certain she was a toddler stealing baklava from Yia-yia Despina's kitchen approximately three days ago. Time is a thief, and it specializes in childhood.

I threw her a party — a small one, because Sophia does not want a big fuss, which is the first time in her life she has not wanted a big fuss and I suspect it has more to do with teenage social anxiety than actual modesty. Six friends, pizza, a movie, a cake I made myself because no child of mine is having a store-bought birthday cake while I have functioning hands and an oven. I made a lemon cake with Greek yogurt frosting — lemony, tangy, not too sweet — because Sophia loves lemon in everything, a trait she inherited from me, who inherited it from Mama, who inherited it from Despina, who probably inherited it from some ancient Greek grandmother squeezing lemons into everything on a sun-baked island in the Aegean a thousand years ago.

Mama came down from Tarpon Springs for the party. She brought an enormous tray of koulourakia and a birthday card with fifty dollars in it and a lecture about Sophia needing to eat more because she is too thin. Sophia is not too thin. Sophia is fourteen and perfectly proportioned and Voula thinks everyone under the age of fifty is too thin. This is a cultural conviction that transcends evidence.

Mark sent a card. He remembered, which is more than he manages some years. The card had a check in it. Sophia opened it, looked at the check, said cool, and put it on the counter. She did not read the card. I saw it later — a generic Hallmark card with a pre-printed message and his signature. He did not write anything personal. I wanted to be angry, but anger at Mark is an old habit I am trying to quit, like smoking, except I never smoked and I cannot seem to quit being angry at Mark Sullivan for being the kind of father who sends a Hallmark card to his daughter on her birthday and thinks that is enough.

After the party, after the friends went home and the pizza boxes were stacked and the kitchen was clean, Sophia sat at the table eating the last piece of lemon cake and said Mom, this cake is really good. I said thank you. She said you always make everything from scratch. I said yes. She said why. I said because your Yia-yia Despina made everything from scratch and your Yia-yia Voula makes everything from scratch and I make everything from scratch and someday you will make everything from scratch. She said maybe. I said definitely. She smiled. Fourteen. My girl is fourteen and she smiled at me and the lemon cake was tart and perfect and the evening was sweet.

Voula walked in with that enormous tray of koulourakia and reminded me, without saying a word, that in this family we do not buy cookies — we make them. If you want something to bring to a birthday table that has that same spirit of homemade abundance, these Soft M&M Cookies are the ones I reach for when I need something festive, crowd-pleasing, and just sweet enough to match the moment. They disappear as fast as Sophia’s last slice of lemon cake did, and they bake up with the same kind of joy you only get when you’ve made something with your own hands.

Soft M&M Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 11 minutes | Total Time: 26 minutes | Servings: 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups M&M candies, plus extra for pressing on top

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Whisk dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugars. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add eggs and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract until fully combined.
5. Combine wet and dry. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
6. Fold in M&Ms. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the M&M candies so they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
7. Portion the dough. Using a medium cookie scoop or a heaping tablespoon, drop rounded balls of dough about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Press a few extra M&Ms onto the tops of each dough ball for a colorful finish.
8. Bake. Bake for 9–11 minutes, until the edges are just set and the centers still look slightly underdone. They will firm up as they cool — do not overbake if you want that soft center.
9. Cool. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 148 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 21g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 95mg