Here's what you need:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 small (3.4 oz.) package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 (11 oz.) package milk chocolate chips and peanut butter chips*
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup M&Ms® milk chocolate candy (I used miniature, but regular size works too)
1/2 cup Reese's Pieces® candy (I used regular size, but miniature works too; you can find mini Reese's Pieces® with the chocolate chips in the baking aisle)
*The original recipe calls for 1 cup milk chocolate chips and 1/2 cup peanut butter chips, but I opted to use a bag of mixed milk chocolate and peanut butter chips to save money. Originally I was going to use 1 1/2 cups of this mixture, but there was so little left after measuring that I went ahead and used the whole bag.
Are you ready for this? You sure? All right then. Preheat the oven to 375ᵒF and prepare to have your mind blown.
Start out by creaming together the softened butter and both the brown and white sugars.
Once the butter and sugars are all nice and combined, add the instant vanilla pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla, and mix it up some more. While it's mixing, combine the flour and baking soda in a separate bowl. Once the eggs, pudding mix, and vanilla are well-incorporated, start adding the flour mixture a little at a time. This forms a pretty heavy dough.
Now is the fun part. Add all of those different chocolate chips and candies and mix it up on low speed, just until everything is evenly distributed.
Holy moly, right? When I lifted the mixer head, it plopped back down on its own from the weight of the dough stuck on the paddle. This is some serious stuff. Now to lay down some cookies! I like to use a small ice cream scoop (probably equivalent to about a tablespoon); I think I got about 6 or 7 dozen small cookies total.
Usually I would use parchment paper on the cookie sheets, but I was out. ~.~ That's okay, though, because the pans don't require greasing. Just be sure to scrape/wipe off any bits of cookie in between batches. Bake at 375ᵒF for 10-12 minutes.
Ohhhhhh baby... Let the cookies sit for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely (or you can eat them warm with a glass of cold milk, which is definitely recommended). Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container, you know, if you have any left to store.
Who needs a boyfriend when you have cookies, right? (But really, I love you and miss you, Paul! <3 It's just too bad that you don't like chocolate, sweetheart.)
With love, your cupcake,
~Jesia <3