In a large bowl, add flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together well and set aside.
In bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugar on medium high, until light and fluffy. Add pudding mix and beat until incorporated. Add eggs and vanilla extract, blending well.
Slowly add in the flour mixture. Using rubber spatula, fold dry and wet ingredients together just until fully incorporated. Add the white chips and 1/2 cup M&Ms and mix into the dough. If it gets too hard to mix, use clean hands.
Gently work in 3 TB sprinkles, taking care not to manipulate the dough too much, which may result in the bleeding of sprinkle colors.
Dough will be a bit sticky. Cover tightly and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Form 1-inch balls* of dough and lightly press down on dough balls to form 1/2 inch rounds. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
Sprinkle on more of the colored sprinkles on top (or lightly roll cookie tops in a bowl of sprinkles.) Press on the remaining 1/2 cup of M&M's on top of each dough round.
Bake about 8 minutes or just until edges look golden brown. Cookies may seem slightly underdone, but they will firm up upon cooling. Don't over bake.
Cool on baking sheet about 10 minutes, and remove to wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
To ensure your M&M Christmas cookies have the perfect texture, don't overmix the dough; just stir until the flour is incorporated to keep them soft and chewy.
Remember, the dough will be sticky before chilling, so don't skip the refrigeration step—it makes handling the dough easier and helps the cookies maintain their shape while baking.
Love bigger cookies? Make 1.5-inch dough balls and flatten them slightly on the baking sheet; just remember to space them 2 inches apart and bake a bit longer until the edges are golden.
Customize your cookies for any occasion by choosing M&M colors that match the theme—red and green for Christmas, pastels for Easter, or your favorite team's colors for game day.
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