peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal cookies with m&m's party!

Shown above with multi-colored m&m's! 

Shown below with school colors...GO Hawks!

This is a beloved recipe from our extended family cookbook we put together about 12 years ago. The recipe is an original from my mom. The peanut butter, chocolate chips & oatmeal combination is the golden key to cookie perfection! Thanks, Mom!

I like to add m&m's for a double dose of chocolate. You can definitely make these without the m&ms and they are just as yummy. I made these today in school colors for some awesome 2012 Alta High School graduates.

I like to make these cookies small, almost bite sized. They don't spread much and they are thick & chewy in the middle. I always slightly under bake my cookies because I like them soft with only a teensy crunch on the edges.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal M&M Cookies
makes 90 small cookies

ingredients:

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup peanut butter (I use smooth, Mom uses chunky)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 oz. chocolate chips (I use mini, Mom uses mega)
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional
1 cup m&m's, optional

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter, peanut butter, sugar & brown sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla and blend. Mix in flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

2. Lightly spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and drop cookie dough by tablespoon onto pan. I use my small Pampered Chef scoop to measure the cookie dough.

3. Bake 5-6 minutes. (mine were perfect at 5 minutes) Remove cookie sheet from oven & press m&m's into the tops of the cookies. Place back in oven & bake an additional 2 minutes.

4. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes then remove to cooling rack.

Congratulations class of 2012!

Cookie tip: If you are making cookies & they go flat when baked and you don't want them to, your butter may be too soft. You can try adding an extra 1/4 cup of flour or refrigerate your cookie dough for about 45 minutes & between batches.