Soft Sugar M&M Cookie Bars

Chef's Notes

 

Mix just until combined. Overmixing = tough bars. Once the flour disappears, you’re done. Fold in the M&Ms gently so they don’t crack apart.
Line your baking dish. Parchment paper with a little overhang makes it so easy to lift out the entire slab and cut perfect squares. No sticking, no crumbling.
Press the dough evenly. Use your hands or an offset spatula to spread the dough to the edges. Even thickness = even baking.
Add extra M&Ms on top. Press a handful into the surface before baking so the colors stay bright and pretty, it’s the bakery-style finishing touch.
Don’t overbake! Pull them when the center still looks slightly underdone. They’ll set as they cool and stay soft and chewy instead of dry.
Cool completely before slicing. This is the hardest part, but it’s what gives you clean edges and bars that hold together instead of crumbling into a cookie avalanche.
Switch up the mix-ins. Mini chocolate chips, pretzels, peanut butter chips, chopped nuts, whatever you love. M&Ms play well with others.
Store them properly (if they last). Keep in an airtight container to maintain that soft chew. Warm them for 10 seconds if you want a gooey, fresh-from-the-oven moment.
Use a 9x9 pan. Don't try and do it in a 9x13 or an 8x8... it won't be the same. Trust me - there's a reason I developed it this way! And a glass or ceramic baking dish doesn't retain heat the same way a metal baking dish does... so use a metal baking dish! And 8x8 (while it's the same shape is only 64 square inches and a 9x9 is 81 inches. So that will WILDLY affect baking time.
After the baking time - LET THESE SET FOR 2 HOURS. These cookie bars might look a little under-baked but they need time to finish residual baking once they come out of the oven.