Description
These Hot Chocolate Cookies are a delightful treat combining rich cocoa, melty chocolate chips, and gooey marshmallows for a cozy dessert. Perfectly soft with a slightly underbaked center, these cookies bring the warmth and comfort of hot chocolate in cookie form.
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 Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Mix Butter and Sugars: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the softened butter with both brown and granulated sugars for several minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture. Beat until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed for an even mix.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the unsweetened cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch.
- Mix Dry Ingredients into Wet: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix only until just combined to avoid overworking the dough.
- Add Chocolate Chips: Stir in ¾ cup of the chocolate chips into the dough. Reserve ¼ cup chocolate chips for topping.
- Scoop Dough: Using a cookie scoop or spoon, portion the dough into 1½ tablespoon sized balls and place them onto the prepared baking sheets. Ensure the dough balls are mounded and not flattened.
- Add Chocolate Chip Topping: Press some reserved chocolate chips onto the top of each dough ball for extra chocolate flavor and visual appeal.
- Bake Initial: Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes. The cookies will just begin to spread but should still have a mound in the center.
- Add Marshmallows: Remove the baking sheets from the oven. Carefully press one half of a marshmallow onto the top of each cookie, slightly pressing to flatten the dough a bit.
- Finish Baking: Return the baking sheets to the oven and bake for another 1-2 minutes. The edges should look almost done but the center should remain a bit underbaked.
- Cool: Remove the baking sheets and place them on wire racks to cool completely. The cookies will firm up as they cool.
- Add Optional Chocolate: While still warm, sprinkle the optional finely chopped chocolate on top of each cookie for added richness.
- Repeat: Bake remaining dough balls once the baking sheets have cooled, following the same process.
Notes
- Properly measure flour by fluffing it in the measuring cup, scooping a heaping portion, and leveling it off with the back of a knife to avoid dense cookies.
- Adjust baking time slightly based on the size of your dough balls; larger balls may need an extra minute or two, smaller ones less.
- If your kitchen is warm, chill the dough between batches to prevent spreading.
- Serve cookies slightly warm so chocolate chips remain melty and marshmallows are gooey for the best texture.
- Store baked cookies tightly covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze baked cookies or dough balls for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
