Hot Cocoa Cookie Cups

Making the cookie cups

1. Mix together dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar for 2-3 minutes until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla and keep beating until combined. Add the dry ingredient mixture and beat slowly until the ingredients come together into a ball of dough.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Spray a mini muffin pan with non-stick spray.
4. Roll dough into dough balls around 1 Tablespoon in size. Place the dough balls into the mini muffin tin. To create a shallow cup, coat a tablespoon in flour by dipping the bottom into a shallow bowl of flour. (I used these measuring spoons.) Press the tablespoon down onto the cookie dough balls to create a cup.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies appear set. Let cool in the mini muffin pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. These cookies come out of the pan very easily as long as you sprayed it with non-stick spray.

Making the chocolate cup handles

Using either homemade chocolate covered pretzels, or storebought chocolate-covered pretzels, cut off the round handles with a sharp knife. Extra pretzels may be needed if they break easily. Dip the cut side of the pretzel handles into melted chocolate and adhere to the chocolate cookie cups. It is best to turn the cups on their side with the handle on top during this part. Let the chocolate set completely before using them as handles.

Alternatively, you can omit the pretzels and make your own chocolate handles using a piping bag of melted chocolate and waxed paper or parchment paper. Pipe thick C-shaped handles onto the paper. Let cool completely until set. Use a hot pan on the stovetop to melt the edges of the C shaped chocolate and adhere immediately to the cookie cups. Let the chocolate set completely before using them as handles.

Make the milk chocolate ganache and assemble

The ganache used in this recipe retains a somewhat liquid-like state to resemble a liquid cup of cocoa. If you’d like your ganache more firm, add ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate in addition to the milk chocolate called for in the recipe.

1. Heat the cream on low-medium heat until simmering. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, wait a few seconds, then stir with a spatula to make a smooth ganache.
2. Fill the cookies with ganache and top with marshmallows. Transfer the cookies to the refrigerator to cool and set for at least 4 hours.
3. Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days (no longer because of the dairy in the ganache) or in the refrigerator for up to a week. The cookies freeze well and can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.

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