Hot Cocoa Cookies

It's not quite the fall weather that really begs for cups of steaming cocoa to stave off the grey, cold nights just yet. I feel so grateful that almost every weekend in September has been sunny and gorgeous - allowing us to squeeze in a trip to Ambleside Park on the north shore, play some frisbee golf, cycle to church, stroll to the farmers market, and enjoy walks around the nearby lake.

However, we did host a games night and as always, I rummaged through my pantry to figure out what needed using up. As it turns out, the most pressing thing to get rid of was marshmallows. Marshmallows... what do you do with them other than s'mores and rice krispies treats? (I already crossed option 2 off the list since it meant buying rice krispies and ending up with leftover cereal)  Rachael Ray had the perfect solution with her hot cocoa cookies. A warm chewy chocolate cookie with a perfectly browned marshmallow on top (assuming you don't burn it under the broiler) hiding a surprise square of melted chocolate underneath. Just delicious. They were a huge hit - if you want to go for a rocky road style, you could use chocolate with almonds for the 7.5 oz in the recipe (i think sea salt would be good too!) The one danger is overcooking the cookie while you're trying to get the marshmallows melted so I would suggest under-baking a bit more if you want to use the broiler method AND WATCH THEM LIKE A HAWK. 

Hot Cocoa Cookies (Source: EveryDay with Rachael Ray Magazine)

makes 36-42 cookies

• 1 stick salted butter (1/2 c.)
• 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped  (or  8 oz bitter sweet: 4 oz semisweet)
• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (I used dark cocoa powder)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 c. light brown sugar (not packed)
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 30 marshmallows, cut in half
• 7.5 oz dark chocolate bars (e.g. Lindt) cut into 1" squares

 1. Melt the butter and chopped chocolate over low heat in a thick saucepan, stirring frequently. Remove from stove and let cool for 15 min.
2. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together.
3. Beat the sugar, eggs, and vanilla with a mixer for 2 minutes on low speed. Then scrape in the melted chocolate and mix just until combined. Add half the flour mixture, mixing (or stirring) on low until just combined. Add the other half of the flour mixture, repeat. Cover the bowl and place in the refridgerator for 50-60 min.
4. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and use parchment paper to line two baking sheets. Use a cookie dough scooper (or some other device) to form 1" diameter balls. Roll them to acheive a round shape. Place about 2" apart on each cookie sheet and press them with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly. Bake about 10-12 minutes.
5. While they bake, stick the squares of marshmallows onto the cut side of the marshmallows.
6. Take the cookies out and press the chocolate side of the marshmallow into the cookie. Option 1: bake ~4 minutes just until the marshmallows are softened. Option 2: switch the oven quickly to broil and broil about 30 sec - 1 min - you should see the marshmallows beginning to puff and turn golden.
7. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to rack.