Baking cookies is a big part of my family's holiday traditions. One of my absolute favorites--that we only get once a year-- are Oatmeal M & M Cookies! Fresh out of the oven they are warm and gooey, with the perfect balance of oaty wholeness and yummy chocolate. The best part is that these cookies are super easy to make! They may not be holiday themed but they are sure to be a hit at any Christmas or New Year party.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup + 6 tablespoons of butter (softened)

3/4 cup of firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 a teaspoon of salt

3 cups of Quaker Oats (uncooked)

1 cup of chocolate malt

1 1/2 cups of M & M's (regular size, not mini)

Baking Instructions:

First set the oven to 350 degrees so that it can preheat as you mix the cookie dough. In a large bowl, beat butter and the brown and granulated sugar on medium speed with an electric mixer until nice and creamy. Add the eggs and the vanilla and beat well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, malt, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and mix well. Then add the flour and malt mixture gradually to the large bowl, blending as you go. Next, add the oats and fold in by hand. Finally add the M & M's, again folding in by hand. Using an ice cream scoop (or a similarly sized spoon) drop the dough onto a parchment sheet two inches apart. Place them i the oven for 8-10 minutes until they are slightly brown and not as wet looking (be careful, though, the cookies will be dark brown because of the malt so make sure to watch them closely so that you down overcook them). Remove the cookies from the tray and place on a wire rack to cool. This recipe should make 4 dozen cookies, but you will probably be snacking on them as soon as they are out of the oven so double the recipe if you plan on taking them to a party or if they need to last a while. I hope you enjoy!