Fudgy chocolate cookies mix with Andes mints and gooey marshmallows to make the cookie equivalent of a warm, comforting cup of hot cocoa! Try my Mexican hot chocolate biscuits next time.

I love turning beverages into cupcakes. I’ve designed alcoholic cupcakes for scotch and Kahlua aficionados, as well as a more harmless cupcake for those underage. Yet I just realized that I have yet to bake a cookie inspired by a drink.

I mulled it over for a long, thinking about eggnog and peppermint, and when it finally struck me, it seemed so obvious: Hot Chocolate. Bluebirdcafela.com, of course.

I opted to name them Hot Cocoa Cookies rather than Hot Chocolate Cookies since cocoa gives me the warm fuzzies.

I baked two batches of chocolate cookies. These were both great, but I concluded that the fudgier version was my favorite. That looked more appropriate and went well with the mint and marshmallow on top.

And, sure, I know hot chocolate isn’t quite fudgy, but bear with me on this one.

I had a large bar of Hershey’s chocolate on hand, but it seemed uninteresting. Predictable. I wanted to add some more flavor to these, so I went through my cupboard to see what I had.

I discovered a packet of Andes Jubilee mints deep inside one of the baskets on a shelf that is nearly out of my reach.

Ingredients for hot cocoa cookies

• Unsalted butter
• Semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
• Egg
• Light brown sugar
• Pure vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Andes mints, cut in half crosswise
• Large marshmallows, cut in half crosswise

How to make hot cocoa cookies

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine butter and chocolate chips and stir constantly until they’re combined and just melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

2. In a large bowl, combine egg, brown sugar and vanilla and beat on medium speed just until just combined. Add the cooled butter/chocolate mixture and mix on low until just combined.

3. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and mix on low until just combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 325° F. Line a baking sheet with a non-stick silicon mat and use a small cookie scoop to place dough onto prepared baking sheet a couple inches apart (they will spread quite a bit). Bake for 10-12 minutes (I found 11 to be perfect).

5. Promptly remove the cookies from the oven and place one half of an Andes mint on top of each cookie, and then place one half of a marshmallow on top of the mint.
6. Place the cookies back in oven and bake for another 3-4 minutes. When you remove them, gently press down on the top of the marshmallows just to flatten them ever so slightly. Let cool on pan for about 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

I once prepared a double batch and took them into my workplace, and the reactions varied from This is the nicest thing I’ve ever eaten to ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME WITH THOSE COOKIES? I’m not kidding when I say they are maybe the greatest cookies I’ve ever had. Ever.

If they aren’t wonderful endorsements, I don’t know what is.

Now go make them right now and bring them to a Christmas party where you will quickly become everyone’s greatest buddy.

I’m only here to give you the goods; you’re on your own to figure out how to cope with your newfound fame.