Hot Chocolate

Sunday, October 2, 2011
I was all set to post a salad recipe, but that will have to wait for another week.  In Toronto today, it’s 6 degrees Celsius (that’s 42 degrees Fahrenheit for my American friends) and it’s teeming with rain.  We're all wearing our winter coats – and it’s only the second of October!  The salad will have to wait; I need to post something that makes me feel warm, just looking at it.

I need to post Hot Chocolate Cookies.

That’s not what they were originally called, but with all the important ingredients of hot chocolate (chocolate, marshmallows, best served on a miserable day), I can’t think of anything better to call them.  And they are comfort cookies at their best.  So even if you’re reading this in sunny Texas (currently 29 degrees Celsuis, 84 Fahrenheit), you’ll enjoy them as much in shorts and a T-shirt as we do in our winter coats.

Hot Chocolate cookies

For the cookies:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup skim milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
About 15 marshmallows, halved crosswise

For the frosting:
3 cups confectioners’ (icing) sugar
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp skim milk
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

To make cookies, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl.

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes.  Reduce speed to medium-low; mix in egg, milk and vanilla.  Mix in flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, until combined.

Drop dough onto baking sheets (either non-stick or lined with parchment paper), about 2 inches apart.  You should have about 30 cookies.  Bake until firm, 8 to 10 minutes.  Immediately press a marshmallow half on top of each cookie, then bake until marshmallows begin to melt, 2 minutes more.  Let cool completely.

To make frosting, put icing sugar in a medium bowl.  Melt butter with the cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.  Add butter mixture to the icing sugar.  Whisk in milk and vanilla.

Spread about 1 Tbsp of frosting on top of each cooked cookies to cover marshmallow.  Let stand until set, about 10 minutes.

40 comments:

Jess said...

Yum! I just bought some gourmet hot cocoa and these cookies will be the perfect match for them! Thanks, Beth :)

Angie's Recipes said...

Those chocolate cookies with marshmallows look divine!

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness, those look delicious! I hope you get a little more warm weather before winter.

Valerie Gamine said...

Oh my- 42 degrees is chilly! And double, nay, triple, Oh My- These cookies look divine! I love the way that marshmallow is peeking through all that chocolate.

Stay warm! :D

Julie said...

Oh my these look amazing!!! 42 is way too chilly for this early. Beautiful here, we'll send some your way :)

MegSmith @ Cooking.In.College said...

Oh wow do these look PERFECT for a chilly day! I will have to keep these tucked away for when winter weather heads over here!

Saji said...

My mounth is watering now!!! These look delicious

Lori M. Lee said...

This looks amazing. I am totally making these. Thanks for sharing!

Joanne said...

Thank goodness for chilly days! Sometimes we just have to splurge on the cookies and forego the salad. We haven't gotten that cold here, yet. Today temps were in the high 60s, but the colder weather is coming ...

Justine L said...

these sound awesome! We're headed into chillier weather here, too ... off to the kitchen I go!

laurie said...

What a great recipe!

Carol said...

They look excellent! I've made them a while back, love them!

Anonymous said...

Chilly here in Michigan, too. We had our first hot chocolate of the season this weekend. I know that my boys will love these cookies.

Belinda said...

It's that cold here in DC too! Unbelievable! Where was this today...could definitely have used some.

Mary said...

I seriously wish I could taste one of these tonight. I bet they were incredible! As I sit here in my very air conditioned house, DREAMING of cold weather, I am excited to hear that you are able to actually wear a coat! That won't happen here for at least a couple more months and even then, it will just be a light jacket.

Anonymous said...

What a tasty interpretation on a drink/cookie! Yum!

shaz said...

They look very hearty indeed. Yikes! At 6 degrees, I'd be eating chocolate for dinner :)

Angela said...

I've never heard of hot chocolate cookies before. They look like they'd be delicious with a glass of milk.

Anonymous said...

Hot chocolate in the form of cookies is such a great idea!!!

Heather said...

Send some of your cool weather this way! On Saturday, it was in the 90's in Southern California!

Your cookies look delicious! I'm looking forward to seeing the salad recipe next! :)

Rita said...

These looks amazing! I have to save this for my friend who is Martha's biggest fan.
We have been freezing up here in northen Ontario, but it is suppost to turn around for a few days and going up to 20.
Rita

Tasha said...

My three year is always begging me to make hot chocolate (even in 90 degree weather). In theory, it sounds perfect to him, but once I do make it, he loses interest half way through. This would be the ideal for him- all the flavor of hot chocolate in an easy-to-eat treat, suitable for any weather.

Stina said...

Yum! I think I just gainned 10 lbs looking at them. ;)

He he. We had something like 19 degrees yesterday in Calgary.

Trisha said...

Those look so devilishly good! Mmm!

Anonymous said...

You made the right choice. Of all of the things that I crave when cool weather strikes, salad is not at the top of the list (for better or worse). What a lovely cookie creation!

Claudia said...

Hot chocolate cookies might be the best idea ever - especially for those like me - in colder climes! We are back to summer - 80 degrees all week. Are you?

Sweet And Crumby said...

My husband will be so happy when I make these for him and the kids. He such a HUGE marshmallow and chocolate fan. Thanks for sharing this!

Elaine said...

I like the name you gave your cookies so much better. They look wonderful and I bet are perfect any time of the year. I hope it warms up for you there!

Patty Price said...

You really have some cold weather right now! We just had our first day of rain, sorry to see the end of Summer but happy to see your lovely cold weather inspired baked treats;-) These look delicious and like fun to make;-)

Barbara said...

Brrrr! I dearly wish you could share a little of that with South Florida. Just a little, you understand!
Your hot chocolate cookies would really hit the spot in chilly rainy weather. In any weather, actually!

Jeanne said...

Wow - these are a serious threat to my October Unprocessed diet! I'll have to save this for November. At least the weather hasn't been cold enough here for hot chocolate yet. I hope you're staying warm!

Emily Malloy said...

Completely scrumptious!

Lorraine said...

OMG! Yummy! These look amazing. These would be a big hit with my family. Weather is so fickle; here in the Boston area, we have gone from 60's to 80's every few days. I shouldn't complaint but I finally put my summer clothes away and now it is going to be in the 80's this weekend again..lol

Cakelaw said...

These look fabulous! If it is of any comfort, we are into the second month of spring, and it was 3 degrees on Monday morning and 6 degrees on Tuesday morning.

Joanne said...

I'd so much rather have hot chocolate than salad right now anyway...especially hot chocolate in cookie form!

Anonymous said...

How did you know I love cookies with marshmallows inside??? Sneaky...
These look incredible.

Sue said...

I have wanted to make this recipe for a long time, now more than ever!

Gloria Baker said...

Hi Beth, these cookies look amazing!!!! yummy!! gloria

Cindy said...

I love this recipe, it is one of the first recipes I posted on my blog several years ago. It is a showstopper!

The Three Little Piglets said...

This ranks right up there next to s'more cookies as best cookie idea ever! I love that little puffy marshmallow center.

Post a Comment