valentine cherry walnut m & m cookies

Here’s a little twist on your traditional

chocolate chip cookie recipe…

with the added healthful benefit of walnuts and dried cherries.

This recipe’s so perfect for Valentine’s day,

but it can be modified for just about any holiday!

Cherry Walnut M & M Valentine Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups packed dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 ½ cups valentine m & m’s

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries* 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter with brown sugar on medium-high until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla, the eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each. With a mixer on low, gradually beat in flour mixture until just combined. Add chocolate, walnuts, and cherries and beat to combine.

Scoop 2-tablespoon mounds of dough about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Decorate with three m & m’s on top of to each unbaked cookie. Bake at 350 degrees, rotating pans halfway through, until cookies are just set on top, about 15-18 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let them cool completely.

This recipe makes about 2-2 ½ dozen cookies

*I like the unsulphured dried cherries available at Trader Joe's. 

Make these for yourself or bake them for someone you love…

the combo of cherry & chocolate is a marriage made in culinary heaven…

so you know these have got to be good! 

ciao! fabiana