Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies

Look, another cookie recipe! I stumbled upon this recipe a week or so ago and kept thinking about it, so decided to make them yesterday evening just because. Three kinds of chocolate chips and a cookie part made with hot chocolate? Intriguing! For once I made them exactly as described in the recipe, though for my hot chocolate I used a combination of the last of a many months old canister of Ghirardelli hot chocolate mix and some of my own hot chocolate mix. I am happy to report that these are some GOOD cookies. They're very chocolatey, but not overwhelming (thanks to the white chips), soft in the middle, and not too thick but not too thin. I just made them so I can't say how well they keep, but hopefully pretty well since the recipe made 4 dozen! Looks like we may need to give away some of these babies, too. That's one of the best things about baking, though :)

Quick note: In all honesty, I think these would be just as good made with 1 1/2 C semisweet chips and 1 1/2 C white chips if you don't feel like buying 3 bags of chocolate chips. Alternatively, I can imagine that chopped dried cherries would make a fantastic addition in place of 1 C chocolate chips. Or M&Ms. Yum!


Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks salted butter, softened
1 C sugar
2/3 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
3 1/4 C flour
1 1/4 t baking soda
1 t salt
4 oz hot chocolate mix by weight (4 1 oz packets, or else weigh some with a kitchen scale)
1 C semisweet chocolate chips
1 C milk chocolate chips
1 C white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Cream together butter and sugars until fluffy, then beat in eggs and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, stir together dry ingredients except chips. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until completely combined, but don't over mix. Stir in chips. Roll dough into walnut sized balls and arrange 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake until tops look dry and centers are set, 9 to 11 minutes. Cool on sheets 10 minutes and then remove to cooling racks to finish. Store in airtight container.

Yield: 4 dozen cookies