For someone such as myself who is extremely enthusiastic about learning how to bake and honestly gives all her effort, but always ends up with an inedible blob of random ingredients melted together on a cooking sheet, simplicity is something that I look for when trying to decide what treats I am going to make during the holiday season.  One thing I love about the month of December is the constant sweet, enticing smell of cookies baking in the oven.  One dessert that is associated with the holiday season is the classic chocolate chip cookie. This sweet treat never seems to get old.  No matter how old you are, the cookie is something that you never get tired of making.  Growing up, I remember standing on the stool next to the counter while my mother held my hands around the mixer.  When the cookie dough was made, she would allow me to add whatever I wanted to the mix. From peppermint chips, to Reese’s, you can add anything you want to the dough that you make from this recipe. This recipe is simplistic, easy to follow, and fast; it allows you to make a sweet treat for yourself and your loved ones to enjoy during the joyful holiday season.

• 1 cup shortening (Crisco works best if you chose to add M&Ms to your cookies, though you can use butter if you wish to do so.)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 and ¼ cup of flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of salt (Optional.
•  Adding this ingredient will not change the outcome.)
• 1 and ½ cup of M&Ms (or whatever candy you chose to add)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Mix together the shortening, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs in a bowl.  In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients together.
• Add a small portion of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix.  Continue until the dry mixture is used completely and you are left with dough.
• Add the candy and mix
• Grab a cookie sheet
• Use a spoon to shape the cookie dough into balls and place on the sheet
• Place sheet in oven and cook for eight to ten minutes
• Let the cookies cool before removing from cookie sheet