Snow Days & Hot Chocolate Cookies

As a lifetime resident of North Carolina, all it takes is the mere threat of snow and public schools are closed for the following day. At the university level, they really make us work for it. Roads actually need to be dangerous to more than just the elderly Sunday drivers who got their bread and milk as soon as the mere notion of "snow" hit the local news stations.

Well, we may not have gotten much snow, but here in the UNC region, we got lots of sleet and ice and the gods of class canceling smiled in my favor. So what did I do? Be a good student and get tons of work done? Well yes, if by work you mean binge watching Once Upon a Time on Netflix, online shopping, and napping. Around three o'clock I decided to avoid having a completely lost day and tidied up my apartment, organized my closet, and began perusing my Pinterest baking board for a cold weather treat to make. 

I settled on a recipe for Hot Chocolate and Marshmallow cookies. Originally, I found the recipe from Holly Lofthouse on Stoppable.com 

The following is my modifications of her recipe. 

Note--to make this recipe you need to have approximately 2 hours for the dough to chill in the refrigerator, prior to baking. 

Ingredients:

Dairy & Refrigerated:

• 3 Large Eggs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

Baking & Spices:

• 1 1/2 cups AP Flour
• 8 oz Semisweet baking chocolate (I used a package of Godiva semi sweet morsels)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar (light)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Other: 

• 16 Large marshmallows

Directions: 

• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally. 
• When butter is completely melted, add the semi sweet chocolate chips in stirring constantly and adding the chips in portions (1/4 of the bag each time). Keep stirring and turn the heat down to medium low. 
• When chocolate is completely melted, remove from heat and let cool for approximately 5 minutes. 
• In a stand up mixer bowl (or bowl with a hand mixer or by hand), mix the brown sugar, eggs and vanilla together until blended. Then add the melted chocolate/butter mixture and mix until blended. 
• Add the dry ingredients and mix until just blended. 
• Cover your bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for approximately 2 hours. While you are waiting, grab those 16 marshmallows and use a chef's knife to slice them in half. 
• Preheat the oven to 325 degree F. Use parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet to line your baking sheets. Fit 12 rolled cookie dough balls on each baking sheet, making sure to leave about 2 inches space between each cookie. 
• Bake cookies for 12 minutes. 
• Remove cookies from the oven, add as many white chocolate chips to the top as you would like and top it off with a marshmallow half. 
• Bake the cookies for 4 more minutes so that the marshmallows will melt some. 
• ENJOY!

I think these cookies are perfect for enjoying during cold weather, especially if there is snow on the ground. But really, if you love it, eat it whenever, am I right? 

What are your favorite treats to enjoy when it is cold outside?