M&Ms add crunch and color to cookies

Is there no end to cooks’ enthusiasm for taking a good thing one step further? For giving a recipe one more tweak? In pursuit of perfection, no less?

This colorful variation on the chocolate-chip oatmeal bar cookie is fresh from the kitchen experimenting of AP photo editor Carolyn Chappo.

Starting with a package of M&M’s rainbow-hued mini-baking bits, but not ending there, Chappo developed this version of the crunchy bars, taste-tested by colleagues.

Chappo’s recipe notes that she prefers to use organic brown sugar and kosher salt. Just a suggestion. Over to you.

3sticks of butter

11/4cups packed brown sugar

1cup regular sugar

2eggs

1tablespoon vanilla extract

33/4cups flour

1cup quick-cooking oats

2teaspoons baking soda

1teaspoon salt

112-ounce package M&M’s mini baking bits (or chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract and combine.

In separate bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture and combine. Add baking bits or chocolate chips and mix through dough.

Spread dough onto an ungreased 11-by-17-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes, or until light golden-brown and firm. Cool in pan; when cool, cut into squares.

Makes 32 bars.