I have a personal tradition of drinking a cup of hot cocoa on the first snow of every winter. I always load it up with whipped cream drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with a little bit of hot chocolate powder. The first snow of winter calls for a little indulgence. Whether its to celebrate or to keep from crying (for me its the latter).
I know the first snow of winter has come and gone, but its snowing today and there is lots of snow ahead. So lets mix things up a bit and make Hot Cocoa Cookies! I made these cookies 3 times, tweaking them each time until I reached perfection. They are made with hot cocoa mix, chocolate chips, and marshmallow bits (you know, the little guys that come in hot cocoa mix). They are so soft and chewy and chocolaty and kind of addicting. They are AMAZING dipped in milk.
And if you are really feeling crazy, go ahead and dip them in some hot cocoa!
Ingredients:
- 12 TBSP. butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted
- 2 C. + 2 TBSP. all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2tsp. cornstarch
- 1/2 C. white sugar
- 1 C. brown sugar (light or dark both work fine), packed
- 1/4 C. cocoa powder
- 1/4 C. good quality hot chocolate mix
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 3/4 C. chocolate chips
- 1 C. Kraft Jet-Puffed Mallow Bits
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Melt the butter in the microwave and let it cool to room temperature. While the butter is cooling, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch in a bowl. Set aside for later.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix the cooled butter with the white and brown sugar until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and hot chocolate powder and mix again until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix again until nice and smooth.
2. Add the flour mixture into the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Add in the chocolate chips and marshmallow bits and mix on low, just until they are evenly distributed.
3. Use a cookie scoop to measure out ping pong ball sized scoops of dough onto a cookie sheet. I like to use a silicone baking mat, but you can just put them directly on the cookie sheet, too. Bake for 12-14 minutes. If you are using a convection oven, cook for 11 minutes. Do not over cook! Take them out when the edges have just started to set, but the middles are still doughy. They will look undercooked, but if you leave them on the pan for a few minutes they will cook a touch more and be perfectly chewy and soft.
NOTE: These cookies work best if you cook them right after making the dough because the mini marshmallows start to dissolve in the dough after awhile. If you want to freeze or refrigerate the dough to cook later, I recommend adding the mini marshmallows in right before cooking. Once cooked, they will last for quite awhile in an air tight container.
If you like these cookies, you might like:
These are sounding VERY appealing on this cold foggy day!! I know Lydia will be dying to try them. Thanks for the idea!
Amy perfected this recipe while visiting here at our house, and I can attest to the yummy hot chocolate flavor! These are perfectly chewy and delicious. My new favorite chocolate cookie!