# Hot Cocoa Cookies Recipe

From our Rebel kitchen to yours, meet a crowd-pleaser from Rebel Girls Make Dessert: Hot Cocoa Cookies. Think all the comfort of a warm mug — rich chocolate, fluffy marshmallow — captured in a soft cookie kids can make on their own from start to finish. And the result? Sweet treats and real-world skills such as focus, problem-solving, and independence, that rise far beyond dessert.

Preheat the oven, cue a favorite playlist, and let your Rebel lead the way:

## Hot Cocoa Cookies

Makes 12 cookies

**Ingredients**

- Vegetable oil spray
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder, plus more for sprinkling
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ¾ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 12 regular-size marshmallows

**Preparation:**

1. Set an oven rack in the top position and heat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it with vegetable oil spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and butter. Microwave at 50% power until melted, 3 to 5 minutes, stopping the microwave every minute to stir. Using oven mitts, carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and place it on the counter.
4. Use the spatula to stir the melted chocolate and butter together until smooth. Add the brown sugar, egg, and milk to the melted chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth.
5. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and use the rubber spatula to stir until no dry flour remains and a soft, fudgy dough forms.
6. Use a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop twelve 2-tablespoon portions of dough onto the greased parchment-lined baking sheet. (Use a small spoon to help scoop out the dough—it will be sticky.) Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes (this helps the cocoa hydrate and the dough firm up).
7. Use your hands to roll the dough portions into balls. (If the dough is still too sticky, let it sit a few more minutes.) Arrange the balls 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Gently flatten each dough ball a little with your fingers.
8. Bake until the cookies are puffed and just beginning to crack but still very soft, about 7 minutes.
9. Using oven mitts, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Quickly press 1 marshmallow, flat side down, into the center of each cookie. (The baking sheet will be hot—be careful!)
10. Return the baking sheet to the oven and continue to bake until the cookie edges are set and the marshmallows are puffed and beginning to brown, 6 to 9 minutes.
11. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet for at least 15 minutes to set. (The marshmallows will deflate a little as they cool—that’s OK.)
12. Using a fine-mesh strainer, dust the tops with a little cocoa powder. Serve warm or at room temperature.