It’s that time of year again! I signed up for the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap again this year and got some great ideas for what to bake for Christmas!
In its third year, the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap helps raise money for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a national non-profit organization committed to funding new therapies used in the fight against pediatric cancer, which claims the lives of more children in the US than any other disease. The swap raised $13,778.40 this year, raised through blogger participants donations and matching donations from OXO, Dixie Crystals, Gold Medal, and Grandma’s Molasses. The goal was $10,000, so to get nearly $4,000 more in donations is amazing!
So here’s how the actual swapping part of this works: I was assigned three food bloggers and made one dozen cookies for each of them. In return, I received three different boxes of cookies from other bloggers.
Last year, I received a batch of hot cocoa cookies that were SO good I was craving them again this year. So I decided to make some myself! The chocolate cookies are topped with mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, and a touch of grated chocolate. I based my recipe off of Rachel Ray’s Hot Cocoa Cookies recipe.
Ingredients (get all ingredients here):
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of unsalted butter
- 1 (12 oz) package of semisweet chocolate chips
- 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, firmly packed
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 6 oz of milk chocolate chips
- 1 package of mini marshmallows
- 1 dark chocolate bar, for garnish (optional)
Add the butter and semisweet chocolate chips to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Stir until completely melted. Let cool for 15 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla at low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, mixing on low speed until just combined.
Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour. (If making the dough a day ahead, let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping.)
Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Using a tablespoon, scoop the dough and roll between your palms to form 1-inch balls. Arrange about 12 balls 2 inches apart on each cookie sheet, flattening slightly.
Bake until the tops of the cookies crack, about 12 minutes.
Remove the cookie sheets from the oven; gently press 2 to 3 mini marshmallows into each cookie. Press 2 to 3 milk chocolate chips into each cookie.
Return the cookies to the oven and bake until the marshmallows are just softened, about 4 minutes.
Remove from the oven and, if desired, grate the dark chocolate over the hot cookies. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to racks to let cool completely. The marshmallows will deflate a bit.
Repeat with the remaining dough. You should end up with about 3 dozen cookies.
These cookies are chewy, chocolatey, and oh so delicious!
I actually had to make an extra batch of these because I liked them so much and wanted some for my very own.
They are really tasty when still warm from the oven, but I think they are best when completely cooled to allow them to get a bit chewy.
These are definitely going to be one of my go to cookie recipes for the holiday season!
Hot Cocoa Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 12 oz package of semisweet chocolate chips
- 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 firmly packed
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 6 oz of milk chocolate chips
- 1 package of mini marshmallows
- 1 dark chocolate bar for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Add the butter and semisweet chocolate chips to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir until completely melted. Let cool for 15 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla at low speed until smooth, about 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. (If making the dough a day ahead, let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping.) Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a tablespoon, scoop the dough and roll between your palms to form 1-inch balls. Arrange about 12 balls 2 inches apart on each cookie sheet, flattening slightly.
- Bake until the tops of the cookies crack, about 12 minutes.
- Remove the cookie sheets from the oven; gently press 2 to 3 mini marshmallows into each cookie. Press 2 to 3 milk chocolate chips into each cookie.
- Return the cookies to the oven and bake until the marshmallows are just softened, about 4 minutes.
- Grate the dark chocolate over the hot cookies. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to racks to let cool completely.
- Repeat with the remaining dough. You should end up with about 3 dozen cookies.
These were absolutely delicious and I did end up sharing with my family! Thanks for making them for me/us!
Kendra recently posted..Aunt Bonnie’s Roll-out Sugar Cookies for the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap
Oh me oh my, Kaitlin! These look decadent and delicious.
Viviane Bauquet Farre – Food and Style recently posted..Roasted butternut squash tart with Taleggio and walnuts
These were so good! Thanks!! And thanks for sending the recipe too! These have been on my list of must try cookies.
Chrissy recently posted..Iced Oatmeal Cookies
These look so incredible, I’m going to make them for my son’s preschool party next week. I’ve never heard of a hot cocoa cookie, and I’m somewhat of a holiday cookie connoisseur. I posted a link on our shop’s blog as well, they look so great!
Thanks so much Sarah! I hope you like them!!
Kaitlin @ I Can Cook That recently posted..Hot Cocoa Cookies
These look delicious! Pinning them now =) – Doree