Hot Chocolate Cookies Recipe
On recipe testing day, my husband walked in the door and said, "It smells like hot chocolate in here!" These cookies really do taste, smell, and even look like a mug of hot cocoa. They have crispy edges and are soft and chewy inside with dark chocolate chunks and melted marshmallow. While these cookies keep well for several days, they are absolutely the best 15 minutes after you take them out of the oven, when the edges have crisped yet the chocolate and marshmallows are still warm and melty. I dare you to eat just one!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup skim milk powder, see notes
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup mini marshmallows
- ½ cup chocolate chunks
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl + electric beaters) cream the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat the batter for 2 minutes more.¾ cup butter, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, skim milk powder, cocoa powder, and salt.2 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup skim milk powder, ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Portion the dough using a medium cookie scoop (about two tablespoons). Holding a portion of the dough in your hands, use your thumbs to press an indent in the center - like a little nest. Add a few marshmallows and chocolate chunks, and then loosely form the dough around the marshmallows (see notes) into a disk shape.1 ½ cup mini marshmallows, ½ cup chocolate chunks
- Place the ¼ cup of sugar into a small bowl and then dip the cookie in sugar, making sure all sides are coated.¼ cup granulated sugar
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 8-9 minutes, until they are set at the edges. Let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Skim milk powder: This ingredient makes these cookies taste like hot chocolate. The milk caramelizes a little as it cooks, giving the cookies extra chew. I always keep some on hand, as I use it to make hot cocoa, but if you don't have any, you can substitute flour.
Forming the cookies: I tried several methods to form these cookies. I wanted them to have cracks on top and the marshmallows to melt out. It works best to add the marshmallows to the 'nest' of dough (as I shared above) and then gently pinch the dough together between the marshmallows. Don't worry about making these smooth, as rough edges will make these cookies look better after they bake. For the cookies in the pictures, I stuck a few chocolate chunks on top after I formed them.
Serving: 1 cookie, Calories: 210kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 34mg, Sodium: 170mg, Potassium: 108mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 250IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 29mg, Iron: 1mg