Do you love sweets?

We’re in good company.

I’ve shared prior how much I love brownies. I definitely got the sweet tooth from my mama, who got it from her dad, who got it from his mother.

Rumor has it that my great-grandma could be caught eating frosting or my mom’s favorite — chocolate milk mix — right from the canister.

We were a Nesquik house, and between mom’s late-night snacking and the general chocolate milk consumption, the brown, aromatic powder didn’t stand a chance.

As I grew up and started baking on my own, I discovered that sometimes, I enjoyed cookie dough more than the baked product.

So did mom, and she still does.

I can’t tell you how many times we’d make chocolate chip cookie dough in the big yellow Tupperware bowl just to inhale the batter.

Fast forward to when I worked retail through college. A co-worker would regularly try a new recipe out on us.

One afternoon she came in when I was on break and handed me a covered dish.

I peeled the aluminum foil and saw geometric figures neatly covered in chocolate.

“Did you dip fruit?” I asked.

I grabbed what I thought was going to be a piece of pineapple, and was pleasantly surprised when it tasted like cookie dough.

“Oh, no, no you didn’t dip fruit. What is that?”

“I found a recipe for edible chocolate chip cookie dough,” she said.

What did “edible” mean? Isn’t all cookie dough edible?

“What are you talking about?”

“The eggs. You can’t eat cookie dough with raw eggs,” she said.

That was something I’d heard throughout my lifetime, but it wasn’t something that Mom and I would practice.

We wouldn’t eat all of the cookie dough because we would make some cookies, but we didn’t not eat it.

And we never got sick from it.

I got the recipe from my co-worker and started making it for holidays, parties or when I just wanted to snack on some cookie dough.

To say I was elated when a dear friend years later confided that chocolate chip cookie dough is her favorite food is an understatement.

I shared the recipe with her, which she still uses to this day.

The best part about this recipe is there’s no oven involved. Just use your microwave or temper chocolate on the stove and you’re good to go.

When it comes time for the chocolate chip part, I’m going to admit I measure that out by how much feels right that day. I add mini M&Ms, and I measure that by my soul, and my soul is generous.

Cookie dough

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cups packed brown sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

14 ounces sweetened condensed milk

12 ounces melting chocolate

1 cup chocolate chips

Mini M&Ms

Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, between 4 and 6 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

Slowly add flour, scraping sides.

Slowly add sweetened condensed milk.

Stir chocolate chips and M&Ms.

Roll into dough balls, setting on a baking sheet.

Put in refrigerator.

In a microwave-safe bowl, or in a sauce pot, slowly melt the melting chocolate.

Once chocolate is melted, dip the rolled cookie dough, setting back on the baking sheet.

Put in the refrigerator until chocolate is set.