Hot Chocolate Cookies and a gift exchange

These cookies are yummy and worth your time to make!

I participated in a Valentine gift exchange over at Homemaker in Heels.  I was assigned Tanya to send a gift to.  We exchanged emails and she seemed positively sweet.  So I knew I wanted to make her something yummy.

I first saw this recipe on Pinterest.  Where else? 

I thought they would be a great addition to my gift exchange basket. 

I also threw in some of my Hot Chocolate on a Stick and made a Silhouette project for her.

Here is the finished project.

I thought the metal bucket turned out so cute, I was sorry I didn't make one for myself. 

I do have to say, that I love my Silhouette Cameo.  L.O.V.E.  I am not a natural with crafts so it has been a learning thing for me.  But I really love it!

Tanya, I hope you do too!

Here is the recipe that I modified for the Hot Chocolate Cookies.  They can, of course, be made milk/dairy free. 

Ingredients

2 sticks butter (Flieshman's unsalted is milk free)

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 1/4 cups flour

1/3 cup hot chocolate mix (I found Ghiridelli hot chocolate mix with no milk!)

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups mini marshmallows

Directions

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well incorporated.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, hot chocolate mix, salt and baking soda.

Slow add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture. Mix until well blended.

Place by rounded teaspoon onto parchment lined baking sheets.  I used a small cookie scoop and put two scoops of cookie dough together.  I wanted "bigger" cookies.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until slightly firm.

As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven, begin topping with marshmallows.

After cooling for a few minutes on the baking sheet, move to wire wrack until completely cool.

They got all packaged up and shipped to Washington.

I am linking up at Sunday Scoop, Metamorphosis Monday and these other Awesome Parties!