Equipment Needed
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Large and medium mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Cookie scoop (or tablespoon)
- Wire cooling rack
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, I preheat my oven to 350°F (175°C) and line my baking sheets with parchment paper. There’s nothing worse than cookies sticking, and parchment is my lifesaver. In my medium bowl, I whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, hot cocoa mix, baking soda, and salt. I make sure to break up any little lumps in the cocoa and cocoa mix—this ensures every bite is perfectly smooth. Setting this aside, I move to my stand mixer.
In the large bowl, I cream the softened butter with both sugars. I let it mix for a good 2-3 minutes on medium speed until it becomes light, fluffy, and pale. This step is crucial for texture! Once it’s beautifully creamy, I beat in the egg and vanilla extract. I scrape down the sides of the bowl with my spatula—there’s always some butter hiding down there. Then, with the mixer on low, I gradually add my dry ingredients. I mix just until the flour disappears; overmixing leads to tough cookies. Finally, I fold in the chocolate chips by hand. The dough will be thick and gloriously chocolatey.
Here’s the fun part: I use a cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons) to portion out dough balls. I place them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. If I’m using the mini marshmallows, I gently press a few into the top of each dough ball right before baking. They get all toasty and wonderful. I bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 10-12 minutes. The trick is to pull them out when the edges look set but the centers still seem soft and puffy. They will look underdone, but I promise, they finish setting up as they cool.
I resist the urge to move them immediately! I let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 full minutes. This was a hard lesson for me—the first time I tried to transfer them right away, they fell apart. That 5-minute rest lets them firm up just enough. Then, I use a spatula to move them to a wire rack to cool completely. The wait is agonizing, but it’s worth it for that perfect, fudgy-chewy texture.(See the next page below to continue…)