M & M Chocolate Chip cookies

The "go-to" recipe for great chocolate chip cookies is the original Nestle Toll House Cookie recipe.

Start there, but get creative with a few changes, like we did. Add some toasted pecans and bright M&M candies to the cookie dough for a little more color, and a little more chocolate, and everyone will be happy!

Here, we put just one color of M&M on each cookie to create a more dramatic display on the table.

It's also fun to combine 2 colors to represent someone's favorite sports team or to enhance a theme party.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12 ounce package) Nestle Toll House Semi Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 medium size bag of M&M's, separated by color

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.

Beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl until creamy. Add eggs--one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat well.

Stir in the chocolate morsels and toasted nuts.

Drop by rounded cookie scoop or tablespoon onto cookie sheets. Lightly press about 6 or 7 M&M's of a single color into the top of each cookie.

Bake 8 minutes or until golden and set. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool completely on wire racks.

*Recipe adapted from Nestle.