Hot Cocoa Cookies

Fudgy chocolate cookies combine with cherry Andes mints and gooey marshmallows to create the cookie equivalent to a warm, cozy mug of hot cocoa!

I’m a big fan of turning drinks into cupcakes. I’ve made alcoholic cupcakes for whisky lovers and fans of Kahlua, as well as a more innocent cupcake for those who are underage. But what I realized recently that I haven’t done yet is make a cookie inspired by a drink.

I thought about it for quite a while, mulling over thoughts of eggnog and peppermint, and when the idea finally hit me it was so obvious: Hot Chocolate. Duh, Leslie.  I decided to call them “Hot Cocoa Cookies” instead of “Hot Chocolate Cookies” because something about “cocoa” just gives me the warm fuzzies.

I made two different batches of chocolate cookies. They were both delicious, but I decided that I prefer the fudgy-er version. It seemed more fitting and paired better with the cherry mint and marshmallow placed on top. And yes, I’m aware that hot chocolate isn’t fudgy – just roll with me on this one.

I had a big bar of Hershey’s chocolate on hand, but that felt boring to me. Predictable. I wanted to add a little extra flavor to these, so I started digging around the pantry to see what I had. Deep in the depths of one of the baskets on a shelf that is almost out of my reach, I found a package of the Andes Cherry Jubilee mint thins. The combination of chocolate and cherry makes me happy because it reminds me of the boxes of chocolate covered cherries my family always used to give me at Christmas – so that means these babies are packed full of even more love than usual. 

I made a double batch and brought these into my office and the feedback I received ranged from “This is the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth” to “ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME WITH THOSE COOKIES? I’m being totally serious when I say that those might be the best cookies I have ever eaten. Ever.”

If those aren’t glowing reviews, I don’t know what are. So go make these immediately and bring them to a holiday party and promptly become everyone’s best friend. I’m just here to provide you with the goods – you’re on your own to learn how to deal with your newfound popularity. 

Hot Cocoa Cookies

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• Prep Time: 2 hours 15 mins
• Cook Time: 11 mins
• Total Time: 2 hours 26 minutes
• Yield: 18

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Description

Fudgy chocolate cookies combine with cherry Andes mints and gooey marshmallows to create the cookie equivalent to a warm, cozy mug of hot chocolate!

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Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 9 Andes Cherry Jubilee mints, cut in half crosswise
• 9 large marshmallows, cut in half crosswise

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Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine butter and chocolate chips and stir constantly until they’re combined and just melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
2. In a large bowl, combine egg, brown sugar and vanilla and beat on medium speed just until just combined. Add the cooled butter/chocolate mixture and mix on low until just combined.
3. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and mix on low until just combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 325° F. Line a baking sheet with a non-stick silicon mat and use a small cookie scoop to place dough onto prepared baking sheet a couple inches apart (they will spread quite a bit). Bake for 10-12 minutes (I found 11 to be perfect).
5. Promptly remove the cookies from the oven and place one half of an Andes mint on top of each cookie, and then place one half of a marshmallow on top of the mint.
6. Place the cookies back in oven and bake for another 3-4 minutes. When you remove them, gently press down on the top of the marshmallows just to flatten them ever so slightly. Let cool on pan for about 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

These can be served at room temperature, or you can do what I do and warm them up in the microwave for a few seconds to let the marshmallow and chocolate mint get a little melty. And maybe even serve them with an actual cup of hot chocolate, if you want to be completely adorable. Enjoy!

Nutrition

• Calories: 2732
• Sugar: 315g
• Sodium: 490mg
• Fat: 113g
• Saturated Fat: 68g
• Unsaturated Fat: 36g
• Trans Fat: 2g
• Carbohydrates: 437g
• Fiber: 18g
• Protein: 28g
• Cholesterol: 308mg

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