Fireworks Pudding Cookies

Fireworks Pudding Cookies - made dough June 27, 2015 from Crazy for Crust

Got any summer barbecue plans for 4th of July next weekend? Picnics, fireworks, cold drinks, burgers, hot dogs, s'mores? Sadly, I don't. My grand plans for Independence Day weekend include working, working and....working. It's our busy time, wrapping up the finances for the quarter so no picnics and fireworks for me (cue violins....).

Make the dough balls then press the M&Ms on the outside of each ball

But that's not enough to stop me from making these 4th of July-themed cookies, appropriately called Fireworks Pudding Cookies, from Crazy for Crust, a blog that's always a great source for delicious recipes. These cookies help celebrate America's birthday with red, white and blue sprinkles as well as red, white and blue M&Ms so they're perfectly patriotic. Even more upside, they're also delicious. Crisp edges and chewy middles as well as a nice brown sugar undertone like any good chocolate chip cookie. Only in this case, instead of chocolate chips, you add M&Ms. The dough is easy to work with and the M&Ms adhere well on the outside. Whenever I bake cookies with M&Ms or chocolate chips, I like to reserve a few to press on the outside of the cookie dough balls so they're prominently featured and not lost inside the cookie. It's all about the pretty.

These can be adapted to other holidays depending on the color of your sprinkles and M&Ms that you use. But in this case, red, white and blue rule for July. These cookies are easy to make as well and, because they're made with M&Ms instead of chocolate chips, you don't have to worry about the chocolate melting in hot summer weather.

Finding red, white and blue sprinkles was the most difficult as Target didn't have them and Michaels appears to have run out already. I finally had to settle for buying blue and white sprinkles plus red sugar crystals. The red, white and blue M&Ms were easier to find in the regular candy aisle at Target. They were on sale and I didn't use them all for these cookies so look for more patriotic-themed treats going up on the blog in a few days.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 box (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup red and blue sprinkles
3/4 cup 4th of July M&Ms, reserve a handful for garnish

1. Cream butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. 
2. Mix in egg and vanilla until smooth. Add pudding mix, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined.
3. Mix in flour, then stir in sprinkles and M&Ms. 
4. Scoop cookie dough into golf-size balls. Press M&Ms randomly on outside dome of dough balls. Cover and chill or freeze for at least an hour or overnight. 
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat baking mats. Place chilled cookie dough balls 2” apart on cookie sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes or until the edges just start to turn brown. Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to a rack to cool completely.