Dark Chocolate Halloween Cookies with Orange Colored M

Serves 24 in about 55 minutes. The oven brings lg eggs and instant espresso powder together.

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup) room temperature
• ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 lg eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• ¾ cup dark cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 ¼ cups orange colored m&m's (or other orange candy coated chocolate candies)

Method

1. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars.
2. Stir in the eggs and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder, if using. Stir together well.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.
5. Add the dark chocolate chips and mix them in.
6. Tip in the M&M's and mix them in gently so they don't break. If a few break that's fine.
7. Line 2 cookie baking sheets with parchment paper.
8. Use a 2 Tbsp ice cream scoop to scoop the dough onto the cookie sheets. Don't press them down, just leave them like that. Make 3 rows of 4. You should get 24 cookies.
9. If you need to, gently press extra M&M's onto the cookies before baking so that bright orange candy shows!
10. Cook in a 350° (F) oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are done/firm around the edges when pressed. They will still be soft in the middle and just a little puffed up.
11. Lift out from oven and cool cookies in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

More dessert ideas are in the dessert collection.