super easy chunky holiday cookies

I LOVE cookies. What's better than chocolate chip cookies, fresh out of the oven? Mmmm!

But honestly, traditional chocolate chip cookies can become boring after time. Today I set out all of the ingredients to make my go-to cookie dough. This got me thinking. I began to wonder just how many times I've made these cookies during the three years that I've spent in university so far. I tried to come up with a number. If I had to guess, I would say that I've made chocolate chip cookies well over 125 times in the past three years. Until today, I had never strayed far from the familiar. But my sister convinced me to step out of my cookie comfort-zone. It was well worth it.

Behold: cookie dough, peanut butter, M&Ms, and Chex cereal.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1.5 cups chocolate chips

(Here's where things get exciting)

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

3/4 cup rice Chex cereal

3/4 cup M&Ms (baking candies)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl (larger than what you think that you need), beat sugars, butter, vanilla, and egg with a mixer. Work in the flour, baking soda, and salt, until a stiff dough has formed. Add in the chocolate chips.

2. With a spoon, mix in the peanut butter. Once creamed together, add in the cereal and M&Ms.

3. Line a pan with parchment paper. Form balls with the dough (using about 2 tablespoons of dough for each). Place about 2 inches apart on the pan.

4. Bake for 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool for about 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.