A Christmas Cookie Warning. . .

I’m no Christmas Cookie virgin.  By that I mean to say that I typically go nuts, beginning in July, every year.  I turn the A/C on super low, haul out the Christmas music, make some hot chocolate, and start baking cookies like there’s no tomorrow. . .  You know, I just realized that I might have shared this not so dirty secret with all of you before.  Regardless, I am a cookie baking fool – but only around the holidays.  I could care less about cookies from January – June.  You would think that after roughly two decades of baking cookies, I would have a good idea of what to do (and not do) when it comes to whipping out a dozen (or two) sweet treats.  But, this weekend, I made a very important cookie baking discovery. . . I made an error of colossal proportions.  And, I’m going to humble myself and share this cookie fail with you. . .

It all started when I decided that I needed to come up with my own recipe.  You would think that I would have learned after the casserole debacle that I’m not all that great with concocting recipes. . . but no.  So, I had this GREAT idea.  Right?  That’s how they always start.  I love things that pretend to be Mexican hot chocolate.  I sometimes wonder what actual Mexican hot chocolate tastes like. . .   But, you know, the things that pretend to be are all favorites of mine. . . I love the combination of dark chocolate, a little pepper, a little cinnamon.  Coincidentally, I still had some Tobasco chocolate in my freezer from my last trip to Avery Island.  FYI, this chocolate is GOOD. . . and spicy.  So, I figured that I could make my favorite chocolate cookie recipe, add bits of Tabasco chocolate, and roll it in a cinnamon sugar mixture and call it a day.  It probably would have been fine if I stopped there. . . but no.  How can you call a cookie a hot chocolate cookie if it doesn’t have marshmallows in it, right?  So, in went some mini marshmallows.  Sigh.  If you discount the fact that I had to use the huge metal BBQ spatula to get them off of the pan, these are decent cookies and worth the effort.  You know, if you leave off that one little detail.  . .  But, seriously. . . look how yummy they look before they made it into the oven. . .  like little bits of cookie heaven.

So, here’s my suggestion, make the cookies, leave off the marshmallows?  That seems so wrong. . . I wonder what it would have been like with marshmallow cream swirled in.  Does anyone know what happens when you bake marshmallow cream????

Hot Chocolate Cookies

1-1/2  cups  all-purpose flour

1/2  cup  unsweetened cocoa powder (this is an absurd amount, I know)

1/2  cup  butter or margarine, softened

1  cup  sugar

1/4  teaspoon  salt

1/4  teaspoon  baking powder

1/4  teaspoon  baking soda

1    egg

1-1/2  teaspoons  vanilla

4 triangles from the Tabasco chocolate tin, chopped fine

1 cup mini marshmallows (or not)

a bowl with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar

In a mixing bowl combine flour and cocoa; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed about 30 seconds or until softened. Add sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat until well combined. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well. Gradually beat in the flour mixture.  Add Tabasco chocolate and marshmallows (ha). 

Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in cinnamon and sugar and place on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake in 350°F oven about 10 minutes or until done. Remove to wire rack; cool.

Be forewarned, with this much cocoa, these cookies will have you bouncing off of the walls, in a good way.