When I leave home it stirs up my family’s desire for a fresh deposit of nurturing … usually in the form of baking. It helps hold them over until I return … or maybe it’s just a scam to get me to bake! It doesn’t matter; I love to fill the house with an aroma that says, “I love you” and leave them with the taste of what it’s like to be loved.

So while I was finishing up my notes, praying to the Lord, pulling out colder weather clothes, and sorting carry-on items … I needed to stop and bake cookies for my fam. I made a fun twist on my traditional soft snickerdoodle, and I hope you’ll enjoy it. Maybe someone in your life needs a little love in the form of a cookie this weekend. These are a great excuse to make a pot of coffee, give a gift bag to a neighbor or elderly friend, or sit on the couch and watch a movie.

Candy Corn M&M Snickerdoodles

Heat the oven to 400 degrees
Cream together:

• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. butter (softened, not melted(
• 1/2 c. shortening
• 2 eggs

Combine and then stir into the creamed mixture:

• 2 3/4 c. flour
• 2 t. cream of tartar
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1/4 t. salt

Finally add:

• 1/2 bag of Candy Corn M&Ms … have you seen them? My friend LeAnn introduced them to me, and they’re great. It’s white chocolate, and it’s a mixture of white, yellow, and orange.  THANKS LeAnn!

Shape dough into balls with about 1 Tablespoon of dough and roll them in cinnamon-sugar (2 T. sugar + 2 t. cinnamon).
Bake them on an ungreased cookie sheet for about 8 minutes, and then let them finish baking as they cool on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes, before removing to a wire rack.  It’s so important to take them out just BEFORE they’re really done; this way, you get a soft and chewy cookie. A hard cookie says, “Nice try. I guess I feel loved.” But there’s NO WAY your loved one won’t feel loved with a soft cookie!

These were disappearing before I could even grab a Tupperware container to keep them fresh while I’m away! So that makes it hard to say how many it REALLY made, but I’m guessing about 4 -5 dozen.

Now I’m all packed, and I’m off to Romania with my dear friend and partner Tara.  I may even be in the air as you read this, and I probably wish I had a Candy Corn M&M Snickerdoodle cookie instead of airplane pretzels!

What are you making this weekend?