Chocolate-Peanut Butter Peanut M&M Cookies

What's your favorite kind of M&M's? Mine is definitely Peanut M&M's...not peanut butter--ewww! Emily at Visions of Sugar Plum loves 'em too, so much that she created this cookie recipe using them. It's colorful and fun and tastes YUM! I like soft cookies and was afraid this cookie would be too crunchy, but it's not. As Alex said, "The edges are crispy and the middle is soft." I was so good and only ate one of these beauties. I had to taste it before I gave them to friends and to review it for you, my nice readers. So I sacrificed.

I did find it a little tricky cutting through the logs with the hard peanuts. It kinda mooshed the cookie slices, but I molded them back into shape. It was probably my fault for not cutting with the "courage of my convictions" as Julia Child would say.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Peanut M&M Cookies

2 1/2 c. unbleached flour plus an additional 1/4 c.
1 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/3 c. creamy peanut butter
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. peanut M&M's
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease cookie sheets using preferred method.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups flour, baking soda and salt.In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter, peanut butter, sugar and granulated sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in flour mixture until combined.

Divide dough into two bowls. In one bowl, beat in additional 1/4 cup flour until combined; stir in 1/2 cup M&M's. In additional bowl, beat in cocoa powder until combined; stir in 1/2 cup M&M's. Lightly cover dough and chill in the refrigerator or freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.

Form dough into two balls, shape into logs, and wrap in separate pieces of plastic wrap; chill for
10 minutes.

Place additional 1/2 cup peanut M&M's in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Remove cookie dough logs from freezer, press together, and roll into crushed M&M's to coat the outside. Cut log in half, wrap logs in plastic wrap, and chill for 10 additional minutes.

Slice logs into 1/2-inch thick rounds, place on cookie sheets, and bake for 14-15 minutes, or until golden brown around edges. Cool 1 minute before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Yield: About 3 dozen cookies