Search This Blog

Search This Blog

Cookies with Pistachio Nuts and M&Ms





Cookies with Pistachio Nuts and M&Ms
(adapted from a recipe by Vicarious Foodie)

1 1/4 cups plain flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp table salt
1 1/4 cups porridge oats
1 cup chocolate m&ms
1 cup mini chocolate buttons
1/2 cup shelled pistachios, halved
170g butter, softened but still cool
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 medium egg
1 tsp vanilla extract


Heat oven to 350/180/Gas Mark 4

Beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Mix in the egg and vanilla.

Sieve in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until well combined. I found I needed a couple of tablespoons of water at this point, probably because I used a medium egg. A large egg would be preferable. Use a rubber spatula to mix in the chocolate, oats and nuts. It really makes life easier!

Divide the mixture into balls the size of a golf ball. Place on 2 lined baking trays (I ended up doing them in 2 batches of 2 trays and put the rest in the fridge). Press the balls down with the palm of your hand.

Now this is where Vicarious Foodie came up trumps! You put one tray on the top shelf and one on the middle, then 20 minutes into cooking you swap the trays over, also turning them, so the back of the trays come to the front. Nice even cooking! My cookies were a little smaller, so I baked them for another 4 minutes, instead of 8. I let them cool a little before moving them to a wire rack.

Makes approx 24 cookies

You can see the original recipes for Wild Cherry M&M Cookies here.


I tried out these cookies at the weekend with view to making another batch during the week. My friend Craig was having a Cake Bake for charity, so I said I would contribute. This first batch of cookies, I took into work, where they were quickly scoffed. Comments were positive and the general opinion was that they were good because they weren't too soft and chewy, hmmm, must be the Scottish palate! I think I might try them bigger next time, because, I quite like chewy cookies.

Anyway, back to my story. So, I thought I would make a couple of fruit loaves (my mum's recipe) and a new batch of cookies. Things didn't go to plan. I forgot just how long you have to leave the fruit loaf mixture to cool before you add the flour and eggs. The loaves came out of the oven at quarter to 10 at night, so no cookies for Craig!

Graham was most disgruntled that he wasn't getting a slice of fruit loaf to sample! Oh, well!

I put the cool loaves in clear bags and tied them closed with yellow satin ribbon. Pity I didn't take a photo, but I was rushing out to work at this point.

Here is an old photo from the same recipe.

21 comments

  1. I adore cookies and M&Ms are the best in life!!
    Thanks for the recipe and it'a always a really good pleasure reading your blog!
    Take care
    Silvia

    ReplyDelete
  2. I do still enjoy eating a bag of M & M's and the cake would be most excellent with tea.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well, those cookies look just fabulous--love the additions of pistachios and even more chocolate with the M&Ms! I'm a chewy-cookie gal myself, so would also go bigger, I think. And too bad for Graham--the bread does look yummy, too!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Holler, they look so beautiful! I have never tried making cookies with M&M's. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I sympathise - I always miss some small detail like 'cool overnight'! Your cookies look delish but were they crispy if not too soft and chewy - I was puzzling over what the scottish palate likes, esp as I suspect it is different to E's! (I probably missed another small detail)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I really, really don't like fruit loafs or cakes or bread, they look all lovely but I've never ever liked eating them. And I don't like raisins in my bread either. But those cookies looks and sounds yummy! Nutty M&Ms are the best!

    ReplyDelete
  7. The cookies sound delicious, but 24 to 28 minutes is a LONG time to bake cookies! Did you mean 20 minutes total? I'm sure I'll never see Wild Cherry M&M's (esp. vegan ones!) but I would love to try your recipe. I LOVE pistachios.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think pistachios might very well be my favorite nut. These sound delicious. No wonder they didn't last long!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Peter, I know what to send you for Christmas then!

    Hi Ricki, I think I will put more pistachios in next time, although shelling them was labour intensive!

    My first time too Patricia!

    Hey Johanna, they did have a bit of a chew to them, but were crispy around the edges, more like a biscuit. I like quite a soft cookie, although I am not a cookie or biscuit fiend, I think that is because I don't like coffee or tea.

    Hi Pia, I prefer the fruit loaf to cookies, but everyone seemed to enjoy the cookies.

    Hi Atxvegn, I went by the recipe, but I have to say I am not a cookie queen. I cut it down by 4 minutes to 24 minutes, maybe less next time!

    Thanks Lisa, another thing we have in common then!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Those cookies look nice and colourful and good! I have done the "miscalculated the time" thing and been up very late at night baking a few times as well.

    ReplyDelete
  11. These look delicious...I am certain i would regret making them- (only because I would eat all of them!)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Looks like you have been baking up a storm Holler:D

    ReplyDelete
  13. Mmmm I love M&Ms in my cookies. I still have to try out your mom's fruit loaf!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Your cookies came out so cute! The fruit loaf looks really good, too.

    ReplyDelete
  15. M&M's are my very favorite candy of all time! I forgot about making the cookies with them! It has been years since I did that! Usually the bag does not last long enough to make the cookies! Thanks for the reminder as I have been needing a "cookie fix"!

    ReplyDelete
  16. i'd like to point out that not only did i not get any fruit loaf, i didn't get much of a crack at the cookies either :(

    ReplyDelete
  17. Poor Graham! We'll take you to a vegan pub & feed you wonderful things tomorrow. :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Just found your blog Holler very nice. I thought the Scots called cookies "biscuits" have things changed now? No matter what they are called... they look delish and I will try them thank you !!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Love a good chewy cookie! These look very moreish and like they'd be just the thing with a mid-morning brew. Or any other time really - the cuppa is just an excuse! Fab!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Kevin, I am glad you do that too!

    Hey Shelly, I had to make a point of taking them into work, to share, so that temptation was removed!

    Hi Val, It was fun!

    Hi Ashley, The fruit loaf is lovely, I have promised Graham I would make some soon, since he missed out on the last two.

    Hi there Vicarious Foodie, Thanks for the great recipe!

    Go for it Deb! Although I don't think there is a wine that would go well with them, at all!

    Everyone say ahh! Poor Grum! Don't fret, I will make you fruit loaf soon, husband dearest!

    And, if that isn't enough Davimack wants to spoil you too! Hope we can take you up on that deal soon Davimack!

    Hi anon, What we call biscuits are more dense and a little different to cookies, which are bigger and chewier!

    Hey Jen, I wish I liked coffee or tea sometimes, especially when there are cookies around!

    ReplyDelete

I love reading comments, so thank you for taking the time to leave one. Unfortunately, I'm bombarded with spam, so I've turned on comment moderation. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can and respond to them. Don't panic, they will disappear when you hit publish. Jac x