Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

• 12 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, broken into pieces or chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, diced into 1 Tbsp pieces
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 24 large marshmallows
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced into small pieces
• 1/4 cup half and half
• 1/4 tsp peppermint extract

Directions

1. For the cookies, put the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl that can go in the microwave. Warm it in 30 second intervals, stirring thoroughly after each burst, until melted and glossy; set it aside to cool a bit.
2. While the chocolate mixture cools, add the flour to a medium mixing bowl. Sift the cocoa powder over it, add the baking powder and salt, then whisk everything together and set it aside.
3. Fit an electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment. In the mixer bowl, beat together the brown sugar, eggs, peppermint extract and vanilla, then blend in the chocolate mixture.
4. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dough comes together.
5. Cover the bowl and chill for 1 hour, or until the dough is firm enough to handle. Dividing the dough into 2 containers will help it chill faster. During the last 15 minutes of chilling, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
6. Scoop out about 1 tablespoon, lightly heaped, of dough at a time. Roll each scoop into a ball, then place the balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or fitted with a silicone baking mat, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Keep the remaining dough chilled.
7. Bake at 325 degrees for about 9 minutes; the cookies should still look a little underdone. While they bake, use kitchen scissors to cut the marshmallows in half.
8. Take the cookies out of the oven and top each cookie with 1 marshmallow half, cut side facing down. Return the pan to the oven and bake for about 2 – 3 minutes, just until the marshmallows have started to melt.
9. Remove the cookies from the oven and gently press the marshmallows so they flatten slightly. Let the cookies cool on the pan for several minutes, then move them to wire racks. Place the wire racks over baking sheets.
10. For the icing, place a sifter over a medium mixing bowl and sift in the powdered sugar with the cocoa; set the bowl aside.
11. Warm the butter and half and half over medium heat, stirring often, until the butter has melted and the mixture reaches a simmer. Take it off the heat, add the sifted dry mixture, and whisk until smooth.
12. Stir in the peppermint extract. If the icing is too thick, loosen it with a little hot water; if it is too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar.
13. Immediately spoon the icing over the cookies, or drizzle it from a resealable bag with a corner cut off. Sprinkle each cookie with crushed peppermint right after icing it, since the icing will begin to set quickly.