Triple Hot Chocolate Cookies

There are a select number of distinctions that are very important when it comes to my life decisions. Decaf versus caf (lots and lots of caf). 2 percent or skim. White or multigrain. Hot cocoa or hot chocolate.

Yes, there’s a difference, my friends, a big difference. Hot cocoa is not hot chocolate – it is but a pale imitation of the thick, velvety smooth, creamy, wintertime drink I love so. Hot chocolate is melted chocolate with heavy cream and milk – perfected with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Hot cocoa comes from a packet and mixed into a glass of lukewarm milk – resulting in a pale grey, chunky, and flat drink.

So, needless to say – I don’t typically have those instant packets of hot cocoa on hand – but then I found a recipe on Tasty Kitchen for Triple Hot Chocolate Cookies and wanted…nay, needed, to make them! Buying that cocoa was one of the best decisions I have made so far during my winter break. The cookies are rich, the three different kinds of chocolate chips lend a hand with that, but the base isn’t overly sweet but has a mild chocolate flavor from the instant mix.

Obviously, these will be made again and again (I’ve got a box of cocoa to use up, afterall). The memory of pulling apart a warm cookie with its melty chocolate chips is almost enough to get me back in the kitchen right now. Almost.

Triple Hot Chocolate Cookies (recipe just barely adapted from The Little Things I Find via Tasty Kitchen, makes 2 dozen cookies)

    ½ cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

    1/3 cup granulated sugar

    ½ cup brown sugar

    1 egg

    1 tsp. vanilla extract

    1 ¾ cups flour

    2 packages (1 Oz. Packets, NOT Sugar-free) Hot Cocoa mix

    ½ tsp. salt

    ½ tsp. cinnamon

    ¾ tsp. baking soda

    ½ cups each semi-sweet, milk and white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk the flour, cocoa, salt, cinnamon, and soda together. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.

In three batches, slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar and butter. Mix each batch until just combined, then add another. Mix in chocolate chips.

Using a large cookie scoop (I use a #24) or a ¼ cup measure, spoon out dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake cookies for 9 – 11 minutes, until the edges are just golden brown. Allow to cool on cookie trays for about 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.