These Hot Chocolate Cookies are to die for good! By far, my absolute FAVORITE cookie to make during the holiday season. You’ll love that they are decadently thick and chewy like a brownie. If you’re going to make cookies for Christmas, you’ll want to seriously give these cookies a try!
Christmas is less than two weeks away and I’m almost done making my cookies for the holiday. This week, I’ll be sending friends and family a package with a variety of cookies I’ve made over the past few weeks. I’m most excited about these cookies and I must admit that these Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies are the hardest to part with.
I’m a huge fan of thumbprint cookies. I like that there is extra room to fill the cookies with another topping that I wouldn’t normally add to baked cookies. Plus, this chocolate brownie ganache-like filling is perfect for this cookie. The chocolate filling is actually a recipe used for decorating a drip cake. It’s perfect because the warm chocolate gives just enough to move it around without hardening quickly and once it does set, it’s not as hard as plain melted chocolate.
Of course, it wouldn’t be hot chocolate without marshmallows. During the holiday season, I think desserts should be elevated. By adding a chocolate drip filling and crushed candy canes with mini marshmallows to the top, it really makes this Christmas cookie stand out. These Hot Chocolate Cookies are impressive and that’s exactly how I like to make desserts during Christmas.
Hot cocoa is a big part the holiday season for my family. My mom always had a big batch of it ready for us kids after we were done playing outside. I can still taste mom’s famous hot chocolate and now that I’m older, I love to make it myself. Whenever I call my mom in winter she is always sipping on a hot cup of cocoa. This year, I’ll be sending her a batch of these freshly baked hot cocoa cookies. She’s a huge chocolate lover and I know she’ll appreciate having these on hand throughout Christmas.
Christmas cookie trays are making a comeback. It’s hard to believe since I’ve never stopped making a dozen variety of cookies throughout the season. Thanks, mom!! Every year, I like to change up my cookies trays. While I do make the classic recipes, like these Spritz Cookies, and Pecan Snowballs, I love getting into the holiday mood by setting out to try new recipes.
I look through cookbooks and mom’s old magazines for inspiration. But a lot of times, I like to combine a variety of recipes into one. That’s where the inspiration for these cookies came from. I’ve used my classic Turtle Thumbprint Cookie recipe and added a few new layers of flavor to change it up.
Peppermint Hot Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies are a showstopper. If you’re looking to make an elevated Christmas cookie for your holiday parties, try this fudgy brownie-like cookie. The added peppermint extract doesn’t overwhelm the cookies but adds another level of flavor that enhances and ties this dessert together.
Hot Chocolate Cookies are my most decadent cookie this Christmas. We make them year after year. Starting in late November, mom would start baking cookie for Christmas parties. We always made traditional vanilla Pecan Snowball along with Peanut Butter Blossoms, Crinkle Cookies, Whipped Shortbread Cookies, and Chocolate Chip Marachino Shortbread Cookies.
Hot Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, at room temperature
- 1⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 1½ teaspoons peppermint extract
Chocolate Filling
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3 tabelspoons butter
- 1 tablespoon light or dark corn syrup
Topping
- 8 mini candy canes crushed
- 2 bags mini marshmallows you can get the hot chocolate mini marshmallows in a box of Swiss Miss marshmallow lovers variety
- chocolate jimmies
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside.In a bowl fit with a mixer, cream butter and granulated sugar on high; about 5 minutes. Wipe down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.Slowly beat in egg yolks, one at a time until incorporated. Beat in peppermint extract. Beat in milk.Gradually add dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Once ingredients are combined, turn up mixer until dough slightly comes together; no more than 1 minute.Cover bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.Scoop dough with a cookie scoop and roll dough into ball.Gently press center of ball with 1/2 teaspoon spoon. Dip spoon into a bowl with granulated sugar to prevent dough sticking to spoon.Bake in oven 13-15 minutes. Once out of the oven, find the indent in the center and this time gently press a 1/2 tablespoon spoon into the center to flatten it slightly. Allow cookies to cool then transfer to a cooling rack. TOPPING and FILLING Combine 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 3 tablespoons butter, and 1 tablespoon corn syrup into a glass microwave safe bowl. SET POWER LEVEL OF MICROWAVE TO POWDER LEVEL 4. This is important as anything hotter will burn the chocolate. Microwave on power level 4 for 5 minutes or until chocolate is silky smooth. Stir chocolate half way through cooking then again after cooking. Candy canes should be crushed with a rolling pin before beginning. Add chocolate to the center of the cookie. Gently jiggle cookie to allow chocolate to smooth out. Do half of the cookies. Then immediately top with crushed candy canes, mini marshmallows, and chocolate jimmies. Repeat with the next batch of cookies. Remaining chocolate may need to be reheated again with the same instructions.Allow chocolate to set then store in an air-tight container.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate and it's accuracy is not guaranteed to be exact.
Save This Recipe To Your Favorites
Create an account on our website and save your favorite recipes. You'll be able to access your favorite recipes on any device!
6 Responses
In the ingredients it says corn syrup, but in the instructions it says cornstarch. Which one is it?
Corn syrup. The post has been updated. Thank you for mentioning.
Turned out great but what do you do with the corn syrup? It’s listed in the ingredients and I bought it but when you go through the directions it’s nowhere to be found?
Melt with chocolate. Thank you.
Can the cookies or the dough be frozen?
Yes either way. Just defrost dough before baking.