25 Days of Christmas Baking Day 12: Hot Cocoa Cookies

We continue our homage to Christmas beverages with the best Christmas beverage:  hot Cocoa!  And these cookies are to die for as well.  Credits for this one go to Pip &Ebby, who apparently got them from Rachael Ray.  I altered the recipe only for simplicity, because I believe in normal everyday bakers and don't see why we have to be specific about brands of things or whether you use bars or chips.  I have to admit that I usually don't do the mixing the dry ingredients and before putting them in the dough, but I did on this one, because of the wet chocolate feature.

Also a coworker gave me a Christmas plate for "my birthday."/She felt bad that I didn't have a Christmas plate.  But it is almost my birthday.


Hot Cocoa Cookies

Ingredients:
  • 1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter
  • 12 oz semisweet chocolate
  • chocolate chunks (I used one of those gigorminous Hershey's Kisses and chopped it up).
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 30 marshmallows
  • chocolate shavings for garnish
Instructions:
  1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and chopped chocolate, stirring frequently, over medium heat. Let cool for 15 minutes.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
  3. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla at low speed until smooth, 2 minutes. Mix in the cooled chocolate mixture just until blended. Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, mixing on low speed until just combined. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.
  4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon, scoop the dough and roll between your palms to form 1-inch balls. Arrange about 16 balls 2 inches apart on each cookie sheet, flattening slightly. Bake until the tops of the cookies crack, about 12 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, snip 8 marshmallows in half crosswise and stick 1 square of chocolate onto each of the cut sides.
  6. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven; gently press a marshmallow half, chocolate side down, into each cookie. Bake until the marshmallows are just softened, about 4 minutes.
  7. Transfer the pans to racks to cool for 5 minutes; grate the remaining chocolate over the hot cookies. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to the racks; let cool. Repeat the process with the remaining dough, marshmallows and chocolate. Bake each batch on a clean sheet of parchment.

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