Proper Hot Cocoa Cookies

My sister Maria makes a particularly festive Christmas cookie every year that quickly became a favorite among the kids (who am I kidding, it’s a favorite among all of us). These cookies are, as you might have assumed, hot cocoa cookies, properly complete with a surprise marshmallow treat! It certainly wouldn’t be Christmas without Maria’s special hot cocoa cookies, with their fun decorative toppings and melt-in-your-mouth consistency. If you haven’t tried these yet, now is the time to make them a part of your family’s Christmas traditions!

It certainly wouldn’t be Christmas without Maria’s special hot cocoa cookies, with their fun decorative toppings and melt-in-your-mouth consistency.

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
• 1.5 cups of semi-sweet chocolate
• 1.5 cups of flour
• 1/4 cup of cocoa powder
• 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1.25 cups of brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 12 large marshmallows cut in half

For the chocolate icing:

• 2 cups of powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup of cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup of hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Christmas themed sprinkles (have fun with it!)

Instructions:

For the cookies:

1. Using a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate (stirring frequently). Once melted, set aside to cool.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a standing mixer, beat the sugar, eggs, and vanilla on low speed until combined. When combined, add the cooled butter and chocolate and mix.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet until combined (the consistency will be similar to that of brownie batter). Refrigerate for 4 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 325°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scoop a small amount of dough into your hands and roll into a ball about an inch thick. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
6. While the cookies are baking, cut your marshmallows in half. After the cookies have baked for 10 minutes, place the marshmallow halves on top of each cookie and bake for another 2-3 minutes.
7. Take your cookies out of the oven and let them cool for a few minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack with a layer of parchment paper underneath the rack to catch any icing that drips down later on.

For the icing:

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined.
2. If icing is still too thick, add up to 3 tablespoons of hot water to thin out the mixture.
3. Using a spoon, spread some icing onto the marshmallow on each cookie. (The icing dries quickly so don’t attempt to decorate too many of them at once!)
4. While the icing is still wet, decorate the top of the cookie with your choice of festive sprinkles!

Let us know how these delicious Christmas cookies turned out for you in the comments below!