Kim hosted our annual Xmas cookie baking day this year for Scott and me, and Eric was in town and joined us! It was so fun, and we made a variety of yummy cookies. This one was a favorite of us all. The chocolate dough has cinnamon and a bit of ground cayenne, a combination commonly found in Mexican hot chocolate that is a unique flavor with a slight kick at the end. The marshmallowy interior provides a wonderful chew even after a few days in an airtight container. Be sure to freeze the marshmallows fully to give the cookies their ripple of white. Otherwise, the marshmallows will dissolve into the cookies as they bake.
1-1/2 c. (192 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 c. (51 grams) cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
1 t. baking soda
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. ground cayenne
3 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 c. (113 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature
1-1/2 c. (305 grams) light brown sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
Mini marshmallows, frozen solid
1/4 c. (50 grams) granulated sugar
In a medium bowl whisk the flour, cocoa power, baking soda, salt, cayenne and 2 t. ground cinnamon.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until creamy, 2 more minutes. Add the flour mixture and beat on low until no dry spots remain, about 1 minute.
With a 2 TB (1 oz) cookie scoop, scoop the dough into mounds on a baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight. Freeze marshmallows, if you haven't already.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Add granulated sugar and remaining t. cinnamon to a small bowl.
Remove half of the dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes if the dough is very stiff. Take a mound of dough and flatten it slightly in the palm of you hand. Pile 5 frozen mini marshmallows on top of the flattened dough, then bring the outer edges over the marshmallows to envelope them. Roll into a ball but leave a little of the white showing in the middle, and then roll in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Place on the baking sheet 3 " apart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the cookies puff slightly and bits of molten marshmallow peek through the surface. Cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container. They stay fresh for 3 days, but honestly mine were still chewy and tasty 5 days later.
Tip: Balls of dough (not coated in Cinnamon sugar) can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. To bake, thaw for 5 minutes at room temperature, roll in cinnamon sugar and bake for 13-15 minutes.
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