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 ganache for a cold weather treat that will warm you up from your head to your feet.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter unsalted, room temperature.
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tspn vanilla extract
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tspn baking soda
- 1 tspn baking powder
- ½ tspn cream of tartar
- 1 tspn anise seeds
- 1 tspn ground cinnamon
- 2½ cups flour
- ½ tspn salt
- 8-9 large marshmallows any brand will do.
Cinnamon Sugar-for rolling cookies
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- ½ tspn cayenne pepper optional for spicier cookies.
Spiced Chocolate Ganache
- 2 oz semisweet chocolate *see notes
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
- ¼ tspn cinnamon
- ⅛ tspn cayenne pepper optional, can use more for spicier ganache.
Instructions
Cinnamon Sugar
- Combine granulated sugar, cinnamon, and cayenne if using, in a bowl.
- Mix with a fork until all of the sugar and cinnamon are mixed well. Set aside.
Cinnamon Chocolate Cookies
- In a bowl mix softened butter with both types of sugars until light and creamy. I mix mine with a stand mixer paddle attachment for 3-5 minutes.
- Add in vanilla extract and eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
- Sift the baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, flour, cinnamon, cornstarch, and cocoa powder over the wet ingredients. Add the anise seeds on top.
- Turn mixer on low and mix until just incorporated.
- Using a 4 ounce scoop, scoop a portion of cookie dough.
- Make a well in the center and stuff with a large marshmallow.
- Pinch the dough closed around the marshmallow to seal it in.
- Release the scoop of stuffed cookie dough into the bowl of cinnamon sugar. Roll the dough in the cinnamon sugar to coat all sides of the dough.
- Place the dough on a parchment lined baking tray and repeat with remaining dough.
- Allow the cookies to chill for two hours and up to 2 days in the fridge. You can also freeze and bake from frozen. Adjust baking time up 2-3 minutes if baking from frozen.
- Bake cookies at a time at 375*F for 12 minutes. They will spread slightly when baking.
- Cool cookies on wire rack. While cookies are cooling, make the spiced ganache.
Spiced Ganache
- In a microwave safe bowl, add the chopped chocolate, heavy cream, and spices.
- Place in microwave and microwave for 20 seconds.
- Let the bowl sit in the microwave for a minute or two before removing and stirring the ganache. Stir until smooth.
- Drizzle over cooled cookies and use the extra ganache to spice up your hot chocolate. Enjoy!
Notes
Is there anything better than a hot cup of chocolate on a chilly night? YES. These cookies.
*Note-the recipe for the spiced ganache can be doubled if needed. Dipping the tops of the cookies will require more ganache than drizzling the ganache on top.