Pretzel M&M Cookies

From elementary school to high school cookies were sold at the cafeteria for $.25 a piece. They had chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, and M&M. They might have had other varieties but I didn't care about those (what 9-year-old likes oatmeal raisin?). I just remember looking forward to that cookie all morning long. 

I usually don't incorporate many pre-made, packaged products into my recipes. I prefer fresh and homemade, despite the fact that the most popular recipe on my blog uses packaged oreo cookies (go figure). However I must say that I adore pretzel M&Ms. Most candies and chocolates at the store are too sweet for my taste. Or they just taste so far from anything remotely normal and natural (aka sour worms) that it just doesn't appeal to me. But when it comes to salty-sweet, I can't resist.

Recipe Rundown
Taste: Butterscotch, sweet, salty, with a hint of chocolate.
Texture: The cookie is chewy yet tender while the crunchy bursts of M&M make it simply amazing.
Ease: Super easy. The dough can be frozen once formed into balls which makes for a super fast sweet treat.
Appearance: The cookies are studded with bright bursts of big, round M&Ms. Just like the cookies from the school cafeteria.
Pros: Deeeeeeelish.
Cons: None.
Would I make this again? Yes. 

Pretzel M&M Cookies
From All Recipes
Makes about 4 dozen cookies

• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups Pretzel M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand-held electric mixer, cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy and smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water then add to batter along with salt. Mix in flour until incorporated. Fold in M&Ms with a rubber spatula. 

Using a spring-loaded ice-cream scoop or a spoon, drop even and large spoonfuls of dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned