Just about everyone has a stand by, trusted and true recipe. Say you’ve been asked to go to a party, to a friend’s house for dinner, maybe there’s a special lunch at work, and you don’t know what to bring.

That recipe that goes with just about any meal and isn’t just a side dish that goes well with BBQ food, or a certain type of dessert that’s best in the summer.

No, a recipe that truly goes well with anything, and generally speaking, isn’t refused. Sure, there may be the picky few, or the one in five who have diet restrictions that keep them from specific things, but we’re talking about a recipe that, in most cases, is received with joy.

So, what is something that is pretty standard, that most people like, across a variety of age groups and food preferences?

That, my friends, is a chocolate chip cookie.

However, it’s not just a chocolate chip cookie, because sometimes those become a bit too standard. This, is a jazzed-up chocolate chip cookie with some M&Ms thrown in the mix.

Now, I can’t guarantee that all your friends eat chocolate and gluten, especially since we’re living in the days where information is so easy to access.

Has anyone else noticed how much easier it was to make food choices twenty years ago?

We didn’t all seem to know all of the hidden ingredients and what they did or could do to a human body back then.

I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, necessarily, but it was a simpler time.

A time when just about everyone ate gluten just because an alternative wasn’t so readily available.

I digress. … Here is a cookie recipe that is sure to be a hit for any event you may find yourself invited to. A recipe that bridges age gaps.

As always, thanks for reading, and happy baking from hbk!

INGREDIENTS

2 C. all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

§ tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

§ C. brown sugar

§ C. butter, softened

¢ C. granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

12 oz. package of mini M&Ms

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda thoroughly. Set aside.

2. Using the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer,) cream together butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes.) Don’t skip this step!

3. With the mixer on low, add in egg and vanilla. Return mixer to medium and mix until incorporated. Scrape sides if needed.

4. With the mixer back on low, add dry ingredient mixture gradually until dough forms.

5. Stir in M&Ms by hand.

6. Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

8. Form balls using about 1 tablespoon of dough, and 1-2 inches apart on baking sheet.

9. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are just barely golden. Remove from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes on baking sheet before removing and placing on wire rack to finish cool. Store in airtight container.

Yields about 24-30 cookies.

Katy Wise is a Fredonia resident.