Special Request: Mint Chocolate M&M Cookies

Let's Talk About Complaining was a book that my parents read to my sisters and me, when we were growing up. Every time one of us started to complain about something, our mom and dad would say, "Let's talk about complaining!" And that would shut us up, because we would picture the cover of the book in our heads and think about how we didn't want to be that little girl.


I wonder at what point I forgot about the book and started complaining again. I love to complain...it releases my inner anger. I bet you like to complain a little, yourself.


Whenever I start a complaint, it sounds like a beginning of a Seinfeld episode to me.
"What's the deal with cashiers at the grocery store? I mean, is there a rule that the cashiers have to use a minimum of 10 plastic bags to sack your groceries? You could walk up to the register with a lemon and a box of cereal, and they would wrap the lemon in two bags, wrap the cereal in a bag, then wrap the lemon and cereal in another bag." *cue audience laughtrack*

Today, I walked out of the grocery store with less than 20 items, but I had about 20 plastic bags. A bottle of wine that I purchased was wrapped in 3 plastic bags - is that really necessary? Not to mention the plastic bags you use to put your produce in. I stuffed all of the plastic bags in the closet - I can't bear to throw them away.
I usually bring my own bag to shop with, but today (and some other days) I forgot. It makes me feel really guilty to take all of those plastic bags. I feel like I'm burning a hole in the ozone layer, or burning down a national forest.
Believe me, I've tried getting away with using one plastic bag to put all of my produce in, but the cashiers hate that and they get really bitchy with you.

Or if you don't use a plastic bag at all, to put the produce in...they hate that too. This cashier once told me that it was a bad idea, because his hands were dirty, and his dirty hands were going to touch my produce.
Well, does that really matter? Isn't the produce dirty already? Think of where it came from: the dirt. I'm going to wash it...I'm not going to eat it as soon as I buy it...you'd be stupid to do that.
So he put the produce in a plastic bag, and I was all like, "I DON'T WANT A BAG." And he said, "No, you need a bag. And I said, "But...I DON'T WANT A BAG!" Then he replied, "I'm just going to put it in a bag so it doesn't get dirty."
So I gave up.

To conclude today's daily rant, I think grocery stores should only use paper bags, or require you to bring your own bags.
Thanks Al Gore. Thanks a lot. Thanks for making me obsess about the environment. Geeze.

To help with the global climate crisis, I made cookies using leftover mint chocolate M&M's. My sister Rachel, had purchased a big bag of mint M&M's and didn't want to eat them all herself, so she asked me to bake something with them. Or maybe I suggested that. Can't remember. Not important.
So I created this recipe after she forked over the M&M's. Let's just say it was a struggle to pull the bag away from her gripping hands. She bit me.

The cookies are really good- everyone liked them. The mint M&M's are good, too - like eating Girl Scout Thin Mints. Mmm.

Mint Chocolate M&M Cookies (Recipe by Me)Printable Recipe


Cooking spray
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour flour
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups Mint Crisp M&M's


Coat cookie sheets with cooking spray and set aside.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter, in a small saucepan, over medium heat. Remove pan from heat and whisk in chocolate chips until melted and smooth.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Knead in additional 6 tablespoons butter, using your fingertips, until pea sized lumps form.
In a large bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together granulated sugar, vanilla extract, peppermint extract and melted chocolate mixture, until well combined-about 1 minute. Beat in eggs until well combined-about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in M&M's by hand, until well combined. Chill dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or the freezer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Use a 1/4 cup measure to portion out dough onto cookie sheets, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes at 375 degrees F; cool 2 minutes before transferring cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

*Seinfeld image from Blogmunch