The best-dressed cookies will be wearing pastels this spring. In seasonal pink, green, yellow, lavender and robin’s egg blue, M&M’s candies are ideal for transforming homemade cookies, whether made from scratch, or from your favorite brand of ready-made cookie dough, into Easter basket treasures.

There are two cookie recipes for you to try here, one similar to a traditional chocolate chip cookie, except for their containing white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts (plus coconut, if you like) and the other for an intensely chocolate cookie, made with both unsweetened chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips.

Plain M&M’s and peanut M&M’s are used respectively, each complementing the cookie in looks, as well as flavor.

M&M’s have been around for 75 years. The plain variety was first sold to the public in 1941, with the peanut candies coming in 1954. If you have always liked M&M’s for their “melts in your mouth, not in your hand” qualities, you will surely love that they are not going to melt in, or on, your cookies either.

Pastel M&M’s are a springtime thing, so if you are very fond of them, stock up. Also, after Easter, many stores offer them at half-price, so look for sales. With occasions such as Mother’s Day, graduations, bridal showers and many others coming, you’ll be glad to have them on hand.

I have used milk chocolate plain and peanut M&M’s for up to six months past their expiration date with no loss of quality or flavor. In addition, if stored in an airtight container, M&M’s may be frozen for at least a year.