Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies

Tiffany Cohen has been cooking since she was 12 years old. Everything she does revolves around family, friends, food and fun. She has a blog called Whatcha Cooking Good Looking, which showcases her love for food and creating great memories with family and friends. When not working at her corporate job, she’s enjoying life with her husband and two little boys. Contact her at whatchacookinggoodlooking@gmail.com.

When Christmas rolls around, it immediately brings one thing to mind: cookies!  My sisters and I have a Cookie Day during the holidays where we bake hundreds of cookies for our family, friends, and neighbors.  We have some standards, like Chocolate Chip and Snickerdoodles, but we always like to throw in a few different cookies every year to change things up.  This year, these Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies are making the cut!

    Subtle notes of peppermint inside of a super fudgey chocolate chocolate chip cookie topped with mini marshmallows, these cookies look and taste like peppermint hot cocoa. How cute are they?  They are so easy to make too!  One bite and you’ll think its Christmas morning.  They are definitely my new favorite and I know they’ll be yours as well!  Happy Baking!

Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies
2 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks of salted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 package of Hershey’s milk chocolate chips broken down as follows: 1/3 cup chocolate chips, melted and kept warm and the remaining bag keep separate
1/2 cup mini marshmallows plus more for decorating
4 candy canes, crushed in the food processor

1. Preheat the oven to 375. In a large bowl, using a whisk stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

2. In your stand mixing bowl or in a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and light brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla. Continue mixing. Add the melted chocolate.  Mix again.  

3.  Gradually add the flour mixture.  Continue mixing starting on low and gradually increasing to medium speed after each addition.

4. When the mixing is done, add the remaining bag of chocolate chips, HALF of the crushed candy canes, and the mini marshmallows. Mix again. This mixing process will possibly pulverize the marshmallows.  Don’t worry, you’ll be adding more.

5. When all of this is complete, take parchment paper lined baking sheets and line them up next to the bowl.  Using an ice cream scoop, scoop up the dough (I like my cookies big.) Drop them on the pan leaving enough room on all sides for the cookies to spread.  Don’t flatten, but you can try to shape them to make them more round if need be.  Sprinkle a bit more candy canes over each cookie. 

6. Bake for 8 minutes.  Remove from the oven and immediately add 2-3 marshmallows to each cookie!  Sprinkle them again with a little bit more candy cane for color.  Enjoy!  

For more food and cocktail recipes, visit my blog Whatcha Cooking Good Looking? at www.whatchacookinggoodlooking.com.