M&M’s® Cookie Bars

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CrispyComeback #CollectiveBias

After what seemed like a very late winter, two snow days, weeks of rain and cloudy skies…SPRING HAS ARRIVED!

Spring brings nice weather, blooming Blue Bonnets, and open windows.  I really enjoy all those things but my favorite thing about Spring is….it marks the beginning of Sandal Season!  Sandal Season is that time of year when you get to set your feet free.  In a good year, it runs from early March to early November.  This year, we’re a little late.  

To prepare for Sandal Season one of the first things I like to do is get a pedicure.  Two things make pedicures even more fun….a sweet friend and a yummy treat! 

My friend Jennifer and I had been planning to go together for weeks but the weather just wouldn’t co-operate. Finally, it warmed up and we made our appointment.  Sweet friend – check.  

Now all I needed was a yummy treat.  The evening before the appointment, I dropped my daughter off at karate and headed around the corner to CVS.  I looked around a bit and decided on the individual packs of M&M’s® Crispy. I’d never had them before but heard they were really good.   They were available a while ago and now their back!  I was tempted to dig right in, but refrained.  

While I was there I picked up a large bag of M&M’s® Crispy, thinking I might find a recipe for them.

Yummy Treat – check.

We enjoyed our much-anticipated time together and the M&M’s® Crispy made it even better.  They are really popular, the girl I asked to take our picture even commented about being excited they were back.  I’m not sure how I missed these the first time around.  I can see why people are so excited they’re back.  

Even though I was really enjoying them I decided to save some for later.  

A couple of days later I was out running errands and realized I was starved.  When I went to get my wallet out at the grocery store I saw my half-bag of M&M’s® Crispy still in my purse.  SCORE!  Snack time again!  

Later in the week my daughter had a friend over for a movie night.  Of course, we needed snacks.  This was the perfect opportunity to try a recipe with my M&M’s® Crispy.  

Here’s where you get an honest Food Blogger moment….

I chose a recipe that looked really good and sounded easy, so I thought it was perfect.  The original started with a gluten-free brownie mix.  I didn’t need it necessarily to be gluten-free so I just purchased a regular brownie mix. Evidently, all things are NOT equal when it comes to converting gluten-free back to regular….  

So, I’m sharing this M&M’s® Cookie Bars recipe instead.  

This is a really easy layered recipe but it does need time to set between layers.  

Here’s the Recipe: 

• 1 (17.5 oz) pouch sugar cookie dough
• ingredients for preparing cookie dough according to directions for cutout cookies
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 6 Tbsp softened butter
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips or candy melts
• 3/4 cup M&M’s® Crispy

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line an 8 x 11 pan with aluminum foil, allowing a couple of inches to hang over the sides

Spray lightly with non-stick spray

In a medium bowl, combine cookie dough mix, ingredients from package and 2 Tbsp flour (add this even if your cookie dough tells you to add more)

Mix until soft ball forms

Spread evenly in prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes

Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack (about 1 hr)

When cool….

Beat butter on medium speed with electric mixer until creamy

Combine powdered sugar and cocoa

Beating on low speed, gradually add powdered sugar mixture to butter, alternating with milk

Blend well between each addition

Add vanilla and beat on medium sped 30 seconds or until light and fluffy

Spread over cooled cookie layer and place in refrigerator to chill about 30 minutes

In top of a double boiler melt white chocolate

Spread white chocolate on top and sprinkle with M&M’s® Crispy 

Return the pan back to the refrigerator and allow to chill completely.  This will help with cutting it, otherwise the chocolate layer is too warm and oozes out when cut.  

The white chocolate will crack when cut, but if it’s chilled it helps

Just before serving…

Using foil, lift bars from pan and remove foil

Cut into 16-20 bars…they are pretty rich so the pieces don’t need to be huge

Right now, there is a $1 coupon available for M&M’s® Crispy at CVS

And a really fun video!  I just love those guys!