Mint Hot Cocoa Cookies

     Over the holidays I'd wanted to deliver some cookies to a few neighbors and families in the area. I really wanted them to be special, not just an ordinary find. That in mind, I came across a couple bags of Nestle's Dark Chocolate and Mint Morsels at the store and thought they might be a good starting place for a great cookie (being one of my very favorite combinations of flavors). I'd made a really tasty batch of double chocolate cookies the previous Christmas and thought I might just toss in these new bits of darker and flavored chocolate to mix it up a little. So, this I did, and then, subsequently, spotted some remaining marshmallows in my cabinet and thought what a lovely thing it might be (if it worked) to top the cookies with a few little marshmallows. Hot chocolate in cookie form--brilliant! With mint, dark chocolate chips inside--even better! And it worked! And even gave the marshmallows a dainty golden toast on top. These are doughy to the core, dense, and gloriously chocolatey. Absolutely addicting. My neighbors ended up getting a few less than I'd intended…

*ps: the photo might be a bit misleading. actually no crushed candy canes or peppermints involved. just thought it was a nice touch to the picture. :)

Mint Hot Cocoa Cookies

yields approx. 3 dozen

ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt (i put in a heaping 1/4 teaspoon)

2 cups Nestle's Dark Chocolate and Mint Morsels*

a couple handfuls of mini marshmallows

*if these aren't stocked in stores, just use 1 cup dark chocolate/bittersweet/semisweet chips + 1 cup Andes Mint pieces for similar effect. if you don't have access to Andes mints or the like, try just using 2 cups of whatever chocolate chips you do have + 1/8 teaspoon mint extract.

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

2. In large bowl, cream butter and sugars until well-incorporated, about a minute. Beat in vanilla and add eggs, one at a time.

3. In separate bowl, sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together until well-combined. 

4. Mix dry mixture gradually into wet mixture (it will be thick). Stir in chocolate and mint morsels.

5. Drop by the heaping teaspoon onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Press 3 or so marshmallows onto the top of each unbaked cookie. Bake for 7 minutes (less if your oven tends on the hot side. just make sure not to overbake! take them out when they still seem too doughy. i promise they'll be just right once cool). Let cool on pan for several minutes, then use large spatula to carefully transfer cookies to cool completely on rack.