Reeses Pieces Pudding Cookies

1. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, dry pudding mix, and baking soda. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer and the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and sugars until smooth. The dough for these cookies is *super thick* so a stand mixer works best here.
4. Next add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.
5. Add the dry ingredients, 1 cup at a time, to the wet ingredients in the mixer until just combined. The dough will be very thick.
6. Mix in the chocolate chips and Reeses Pieces on low speed or fold in with a wooden spoon.
7. Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough into 2-3 tablespoon rounds and place on the prepared cookie sheets.
8. Place in the freezer for about 20 minutes to firm up the dough a litte bit. I find the cookies spread less with a little chill on them so I never skip this step.
9. As an added extra, you can press a few additional candies or chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies for a more uniform look.
10. Ready to bake? When the cookies are almost done chilling, preheat oven to 350°F.
11. Space cookies a few inches apart and bake on parchment paper lined cookie sheet on the center rack of the oven. This can be done in two batches (baking one after the other) or follow my lead and make some now and freeze the rest of the dough for later!
12. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies just start to turn a very light brown and barely start to crackle on top. Bake time will vary slightly based on cookie size. I like to make mine with about 3-4 TBSP of dough per cookie and bake for 13-14 minutes.
13. Once they're ready, carefully remove from oven allow cookies cool completely on the cookie sheet. After 5-8 minutes my family members usually start stealing warm cookies off the sheet - SO GOOD!

MAKE AHEAD TIP

1. Making these cookies in advance? You can leave them in the freezer until compoltely frozen and transfer to a baggie/container for easy grab and bake cookies whenever you want! You can also refrigerate the dough overnight to bake the following day. Both methods work great. For frozen cookie dough, I like to add an additional 30-60 seconds to the bake time to get them nice and crisp on the edges and soft in the center.