My first two children were born in Dallas, but our third was born in the Netherlands. It was such a different experience – the doctor’s were much more hands off – which I appreciated. (They never even weighed me!) As the big day came nearer, and my nervousness grew for my most bravest expat experience, yet – my sweet friends threw me a baby shower. As a thank you, I prepared these cookies in jars from Xenos and had my mother bring me blue colored M&Ms from America. Needless to say, my expat friends loved them. Of course, these cookies are just as yummy with any colored M&Ms and just prepared in a bowl. If you do layer the first ingredients and gift, just add a little tag with the instructions below!  

Preppin’

1 1/3 cup (160 g) all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup & leveled
1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking powder
1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) salt
1 cup (90 g) cooking oats
3/4 cup (150 g) m&ms
3/4 cup (130 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips See Pearl of Wisdom below
1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup (100 g) white sugar
1/3 – 1/2 cup (50 – 75 g) chopped pecans

Preparin’

Preheat oven 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 C) & line a baking sheet with parchment paper (bakpapier)

Dump entire contents of jar above into a bowl. Add the following:

1 slightly beaten egg
1/2 cup (113 g) butter (melted slightly in the microwave)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla

Roll cookies into ping-pong sized balls and drop on to cookie sheet (these will grow, so give ’em some room). 

Bake for 10 minutes, remove from sheet and place on wire rack to cool.

Pearl of Wisdom: While Toll House chocolate chips are a staple in every grocery store and most pantries in the U.S. they’re hard to come by in the Netherlands and Belgium. A bag of these are a ‘must’ when I head to Target and fill my suitcase with all-things-American (along with washable markers – don’t even ask my why that technology hasn’t crossed the ocean). I tried the Dutch ‘drupples’ once, but because they are made to melt in fondues – it just made a mess with the cookies (a yummy, gooey mess, but still. . . ) Again, I was able to find bags of yellow happiness at the American Food Store outside of Antwerp!