Bake Happy

Sometimes life gets you down. Whether it's bills, relationships, or just feeling blue for no reason at all (i.e. hormones), there are times that the lower lip puffs out and quivers and tears well up in your eyes. At those times you might put on your favorite weepy movie and go through a box of tissues, call your best friend and wail over the phone, or you can decide that it's not that bad, put on happy music, and bake cookies.

These are just about the happiest cookies I know. They're so bright and cheerful, no one could stay depressed while looking at one. And with peanut butter and chocolate dancing together on your tongue, it's like a party in your mouth!

So when you're tempted to go for a walk down Self-Pity Lane, instead tie on your brightest apron, bake a batch of happiness, and invite friends over for cookies. Afterwards, chances are that even if you remember why you were feeling down, it'll seem insignificant and not worth wasting tissues on in the first place.

Peanut Butter M & M Cookies

5 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp baking soda

1 lb. butter
1-1/2 cup sugar
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup peanut butter

4 cups M & M's

Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda into a bowl. Set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the sugars, eggs, vanilla and peanut butter and beat till creamy.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Beat 3-4 minutes.

By hand gently stir in 3 cups plain M & M's. Mix well. Spoon by 1/8 cup onto ungreased baking sheet. From the remaining one cup of M & M's, press a few into the top of each cookie. Bake at 350 deg. F for 11 minutes. The cookies should be just set, very lightly browned on the edges. Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes. The cookies will continue to cook from the heat of the baking sheet. Remove them to a cooling rack to complete cooling.