Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies

Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies

A chocolate cookie warmly spiced with cinnamon and anise seeds is stuffed with marshmallow, rolled in cinnamon sugar, and drizzled with a spicy cayenne and cinnamon ganache for a cold weather treat that will warm you up from your head to your feet.

My grandmother didn’t speak any English. She was Peruvian, born and raised in the mountains and settled in Trujillo, Peru after she had my mom and her siblings. She would visit us from Peru several times a year, usually bringing biscochos, café, alfajores, an assortment of dried corn, herbs, and potatoes, and of course chocolate.

The smell of cinnamon, anise seed, and chocolate simmering in warm milk on the stove reminds me of her and my childhood. It reminds me of a much simpler time enjoying food, stories of travel, sharing recipes, and eating something sweet. Peruvians have the most epic sweet tooth as I have so lovingly inherited from my mother’s side of the family. We always need just that little something to keep our palettes happy.

She was a constant pillar of strength, had no tolerance for BS, and had the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever known. I remember spending most of our time with her cooking or walking to the grocery store to buy ingredients to cook. And my sweet lord, could she whip up some ridiculously good food. Although she is no longer with us, her memory and influence on my life has followed me over the years to shape me into the woman that I am into today.

She has shown me the love of food transcends over time, languages, and cultures. The service of preparing, making, and sharing food comes from a place in your soul trying to preserve the past while paving the way for the future. I find joy knowing I can call on my roots for inspiration and I find comfort knowing I may be that strong female pillar for generations to come. There is beauty in this sentiment, and it all starts with making and sharing delicious food.

“Mamita, te extraño mucho. Estas galletitas de chocolate y canela son para ti.”

 

Why I Love This Recipe

Flavor-Cinnamon, anise, and chocolate are very nostalgic flavors for me, and they go so well together. The cinnamon is warm, and the anise is sweet and slightly earthy which pair well with the cocoa powder in this cookie. The cinnamon is incorporated in the dough, the sugar coating, and the ganache. The marshmallow filling is sweet and soft and adds a nice break from the rich chocolate dough. A spiced ganache with cinnamon and cayenne pepper adds another depth of warm flavor. The cayenne can be dialed up or down depending on the spice level you want. I use a very small amount of cayenne to create a warmth in the cookie making it feel like a warm cup of hot cocoa. This cookie also has cream of tartar which adds a slight tang to the cookie, it highlights the flavor of the chocolate while rounding out the sweet notes in the cookie.

Texture-Where to begin? The texture of these cookies is so satisfying, there is a crunch from the cinnamon sugar coating that bakes around the cookie dough to encase a soft chocolate cookie underneath. The soft chocolate cookie inside has a rich texture like a chocolate cake and is almost fluffy when you bite into it. It contrasts nicely with the crunchy exterior of the cookie. The marshmallow inside is soft and gooey, it has a very mild flavor compared to the spice of the cookie and helps to meld the flavors of chocolate and cinnamon together. It creates a creamy texture like the frothy melty goodness marshmallows create in a cup of hot chocolate. This cookie is taken to the next level with a smooth and decadent chocolate ganache that adds a silky chocolate texture along with the crunch and soft textures inside of the cookie. It truly is remarkable how so many textures can work harmoniously in one cookie and every bite is better than the last.

Made to Share-There are only 8 cookies made from this recipe and that is to allow for a scoop of dough to be big enough to stuff with marshmallow without the marshmallow leaking out when baking. It also means these cookies are massive and perfect for splitting in half and sharing with your favorite people. Make a big batch of hot chocolate or coffee, invite all your besties, and share these delicious treats!

Versatile-You can skip on stuffing with marshmallow or topping with spiced ganache and still be left with a seriously delicious cinnamon chocolate cookie. You could even omit the cinnamon and anise seed and add instant coffee and extra vanilla for a mocha cookie vibe. These are wonderful scooped as 3-ounce cookies as well and have a great chocolate flavor sans fillings or toppings. It’s a great chocolate cookie to add to your baking list.

Ingredients You Need

-Butter-

-Granulated & brown sugar

-Eggs

-Cocoa Powder-unsweetened

-Vanilla extract

-Flour

-Baking Soda & Baking Powder- for spread and lift in the cookie.

-Cream of Tartar- this will also help with the spread of the cookie. It also adds a slight tang to the cookie, it is undetectable but helps enhance the chocolate flavor in the dough.

-Cornstarch-this will help tighten up the dough so it doesn’t spread too much.

-Cinnamon- for cookie dough.

-Anise Seeds- for cookie dough.

-Salt-for cookie dough. I use kosher salt.

-Large Marshmallows- you can also use regular marshmallows; you will need a small pinch per cookie. I don’t recommend using fluff as it is very soft and tends to leak out of the cookie when baking.

-Granulated sugar-for rolling cookies

-Cinnamon-for cinnamon sugar to roll cookies.

-Chopped semisweet chocolate-For the spiced ganache. Can use chocolate chips as well.

-Heavy Cream-For spiced ganache.

-Cayenne Pepper- I used a very small amount in this ganache mainly because my kids were going to eat some, and they have a low tolerance for spice. I have made them, and prefer them honestly, with up to a half teaspoon of cayenne pepper for a little pop of heat in the back of your throat. You can omit entirely if you do not want spice in your cookies.

Let’s Make Cookies

First, I mix up the cinnamon sugar for rolling the cookies in a bowl. I mix the cinnamon with granulated sugar and set aside to begin preparing the cookie dough. If you are a fan of spice, you can also add cayenne pepper to this cinnamon sugar mix for an extra kick of heat. I recommend half a teaspoon as an addition.

I start with room temperature butter and both types of sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. I cream these together on medium high until it is light and creamy. This usually takes around 3-5 minutes.

Next up, adding in the eggs. I will scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times to make sure it is mixing in evenly. I beat the eggs, butter, and sugar mixture on medium high for a minute until the mixture has come together. There should be no visible egg white or yolk after mixing.

I add in the vanilla extract and give a good mix for a minute on the lowest setting then get my dry ingredients sifted, this includes flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cream of tartar, and cornstarch. It’s important to sift the cocoa powder to get rid of any big lumps. Turn the mixer on low after the dry ingredients are sifted on top and mix until just combined.

I add the anise seeds and mix  on low for a few turns of the paddle. I then remove the bowl and paddle to mix by hand. I focus on the bottom of the bowl, folding the dough up and over on itself to make sure the dough is cohesive.

How to Stuff Cookies

**I have videos on how I stuff cookies on: Instagram , Facebook , and Pinterest , if you want a visual aide on how I stuff cookie dough**

I take a 4-ounce cookie scoop and scoop out a full scoop of dough. I make a well in the center of the dough with the back of a small spoon. I take a large marshmallow and place inside the center, kind of squishing the marshmallow into the dough so it’s not sticking out.

With a pinching motion I pinch the dough closed on top of the filling, sealing the marshmallow inside the dough. I take the scoop and release the stuffed dough into the bowl full of cinnamon sugar.

I roll the dough in the sugar to make sure all the dough is covered then transfer it to a parchment lined baking sheet.

These cookies do best if they are refrigerated for at least a few hours to overnight to firm up the dough and to firm up the marshmallow inside the dough. This will ensure the marshmallow does not melt out during baking.

I do this because I like the texture of a soft baked cookie that stays soft, doesn’t dry out, isn’t too chalky, and doesn’t use a lot of cornstarch. You can add more cornstarch or flour to make a sturdier dough and bake right away after stuffing, but I feel it compromises the flavor and texture of the cookie. Plus, allowing the dough to rest allows the flavors of the anise and cinnamon to mingle and flavor the dough. Sometimes extraordinary cookies can take a little time, but it is worth every minute waiting in the end.

You can also freeze the stuffed cookie dough for up to 6 months prior to baking. The baking time should be adjusted by 2-3 minutes and can be baked from frozen.

I bake 4 at a time in a 375*F oven for 12 minutes. These cookies will spread slightly during baking, so I make sure not to overcrowd the pan.

The cookies are done when they have spread out slightly and are slightly cracked on the tops.

I let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking tray then transfer to a wire rack to cool while I get the ganache ready. Once they are done cooling, they can be drizzled with spiced chocolate ganache.

I make the ganache when the cookies are cooling, and it takes minutes to put together.

Spiced Ganache

This is a super easy way to make a small amount of ganache without having to bring cream to boil or use a double broiler. If there is leftover ganache after decorating the cookies, it can be added to hot chocolate. It can also be eaten by the spoonful.

In a heat proof bowl, I combine the spices, chopped chocolate, and heavy cream.

I place in the microwave for 20 seconds then let it sit in the microwave for a minute or two before taking out and stirring. This helps the chocolate warm up with the cream from the residual heat from the microwave without it getting too hot.

The ganache will take a minute or two of stirring before it comes together into a smooth glaze. If you still see bits of unmelted chocolate after mixing for a minute or two, you can pop the ganache back in the microwave for 10 seconds, let it sit for a minute in the microwave, then stir again. Be careful to not overheat as this can heat the chocolate up too much and it can get grainy.

 

I like to spoon a teaspoon of warm ganache on the tops of the cookies, but I have drizzled the ganache on the tops of the cookies with great results as well. I suggest serving these cookies warm for a hot chocolate-like treat.

If making these cookies in advance or if you are wanting to package them for gifts, allow the ganache to set up for an hour or two before packaging. Once the ganache is cooled and set it will stand up much better to packaging and stacking. I use a clean finger to gently touch the ganache, if it moves under pressure or is sticking to your finger, it needs more time to set up. The ganache is set when it is dry to the touch.

If you try this recipe and love it as much as I do, please tag, follow, and like @sunshinetxcookies on Instagram and Facebook. New posts every Thursday so be sure to follow me for more delicious cookie recipes. Happy Baking!