Movie Snack Cookies

In an effort to spring clean our lives, the hubs and I have been working on our Netflix queue by watching movies every weekend.  Last night was spent with Populaire, a darling French film that had us laughing within five minutes (two thumbs and a pup paw up).  In order to make an in-house movie night more authentic, it is essential to have cinema snacks.  For us that entails popcorn and M&M's, two perfect munchies to satisfy the salty, sweet and crunchy cravings.  I'm always bouncing back and forth between the bowls, as the combo of crisp kernels and creamy chocolate is so very scrumptious.  So the idea to throw the two together in cookie batter was genius, creating the combo I love in a convenient cookie form with a lot less wiggling to distract the hubs from the home-ified cinematic experience.

What am I saying.  The hubs loves these cookies even more than I do.  I may go crazy-town on them during the movie with a glass of milk, but he eats these like the future of the world depends on their vanquishment.  Man versus cookie in the ultimate battle for deliciousness.  (Spoiler alert - man wins.)

Just look at that dough.  So much popcorn and candy, it's every moviegoers dream!

Ever since my first batch of popcorn cookies I've been absolutely hooked.  It may seem a bit strange, but the airy popped corn and occasional old maids (crunchy unpopped kernels) is fabulous in a soft, sugary cookie.  Previously I'd used other basic doughs, but here I like using our family chocolate chip cookie recipe.  I have yet to eat a cookie that can compare to the glorious perfection that is this dough.  By using a combination of butter and shortening, the cookies turn out both flavorful and pillowy soft.  Pretty much perfection.

Miniature M&M's are great in this recipe.  I find they disperse better throughout the cookie, ensuring a little chocolate along with the popcorn in every bite.  But their regular-sized or dark chocolate relatives would also be great, providing bigger chocolate flavor in the candy bites.  Of course you could also use chocolate chips, but the festive rainbow shells can't be beat.

Riddled with bright M&M's and salty popcorn, these are pretty much everything you want in a cookie and a movie.  Next I'm making these into ice cream sandwiches....yet another bonus to movies at home.


Movie Snack Cookies (26-30 cookies)

• 5 tbs unsalted butter
• 5 tbs shortening
• 1/2 c sugar
• 1/2 c light brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 c flour (we use whole wheat pastry & all purpose combo)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 oz mini M&M's candies (about 1/2 cup)
• 3 c popcorn 

 Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the shortening, butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla.  Beat together until smooth.  In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined.  Add the M&M's and popcorn, then stir until until the mix-in's are evenly distributed.  If it looks like there's too much popcorn, it's just right!

Scoop about 1/2 tablespoons of dough, then roll into a ball and set on parchment paper.  Leave about an inch and a half between the each dough ball.  Bake 8-10 minutes, until they are just browned on top and barely set.  Remove and let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Eat several hot with milk, then save the rest for your favorite flick later that night.  Cookies can be stored in an air-tight container for never longer than a couple days (too delicious).