Description
These Hot Chocolate Cookies bring the cozy warmth of your favorite winter drink into a delightful treat. Soft, chocolatey dough packed with chocolate chips and topped with gooey marshmallows creates a perfect cookie to enjoy slightly warm when the chocolate is melty and the marshmallows are delightfully gooey.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened, but still cool
- ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar, fresh and soft
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 cup chocolate chips, divided
Topping
- 10 full size marshmallows, cut in half across the middle
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped chocolate (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars together for several minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy, creating a smooth base for the cookies.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract into the butter mixture, beating to combine fully and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure an even blend.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the unsweetened cocoa, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch, evenly distributing these key dry ingredients.
- Combine Mixtures: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients until just combined to avoid overmixing and keep the cookies tender.
- Add Chocolate Chips: Reserve ¼ cup of the chocolate chips for topping and fold the remaining ¾ cup into the dough for bursts of chocolate throughout the cookies.
- Portion Dough: Scoop dough in 1½ tablespoon portions onto the prepared baking sheets, forming mounded balls rather than flattening to help maintain their shape.
- Top with Chocolate Chips: Press some of the reserved chocolate chips on top of each dough ball for an appealing chocolatey finish once baked.
- Initial Bake: Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes until they begin to spread but still hold a mound in the center, then remove from the oven carefully.
- Add Marshmallows and Final Bake: Press one halved marshmallow onto the top of each cookie gently, flattening the cookie slightly, then return to the oven for an additional 1-2 minutes until edges look almost done but centers remain slightly underbaked.
- Cool and Finish: Remove cookies from oven and place baking sheets on wire racks to cool. The cookies will firm up as they cool. If desired, sprinkle with finely chopped chocolate while still warm for extra indulgence.
- Repeat Baking: Once the baking sheets have cooled, repeat the process with the remaining dough balls to bake all cookies.
Notes
- To properly measure flour, fluff it with your measuring cup, scoop a heaping portion, and level it off with the back of a knife to avoid dense cookies.
- Adjust cook time upward if your dough balls are larger; make sure not to overbake as the cookies are best slightly underbaked for a soft texture.
- If your kitchen is warm, refrigerate the dough between batches to keep the dough firm and manageable for shaping.
- Serve the cookies slightly warm for melty chocolate chips and gooey marshmallows, ideally within 2 days of baking for best texture and flavor.
- Store cookies tightly covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze baked cookies or dough balls for up to 2 months for longer storage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
