Hot Chocolate Cookies
Secret Recipe Club is going through a transition period right now. So you might not see as many posts this month as you normally do for SRC. I decided I definitely wanted to participate even though it was optional in January. Once again, I was lucky enough to “meet” a new Blogger. Kate blogs over at Kitchen Trial and Error.
After browsing through her archives, I once again had a handful of recipes that looked appetizing. I chose the Hot Chocolate Cookies because they seemed fitting this time of year. They’re basically chocolate cookies, filled with a variety of chocolate chips, but instead of using cocoa powder, you use hot cocoa mix in the cookie dough. I used this Ghirardelli Double Chocolate mix, because it’s really good (not as good as Homemade Hot Cocoa, but definitely a close second).
I used a total of four different kinds of chocolate chips. I just pulled out a bunch of bags that were almost empty and finished them off. I ended up using 3/4 cup of both white chocolate and milk chocolate chips, then 1/4 cup of both bittersweet and semisweet chocolate chips. I loved how each of these cookies was jam packed with a ton of chocolate chips and every bite brought a new combination of chocolates.
I am submitting this for January’s What’s Baking, hosted by Melissa of I was Born to Cook. This month’s theme was Snowday Treats!
Hot Chocolate Cookies
Yield: 5 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups flour
4 ounces hot chocolate mix (not sugar free)
1 tsp Kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp table salt)
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups of chocolate chips - any variety
Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa mix, salt, and baking soda together. set aside.
In a separate bowl, use a mixer to cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes.
Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, a bit at a time, until incorporated.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Chill the dough for one hour.
Preheat your oven to 350F. line two baking sheets with parchment paper. drop by rounded teaspoons on about 2 inches apart.
Bake them one sheet at a time, for about 10 minutes. let cool on the sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Recipe from Kitchen Trial and Error
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
If Carlos claims this is the best thing you have ever made … I might have to make them tonight!
beantownbaker — February 10th, 2014 @ 9:57 am
Let me know if you do. I was seriously SHOCKED when he said that.
OH. MY. LORD.
Yeah, I can see why these are the best ever!!!! Love Samoas!
I grew up calling them Samoas and didn’t like them when I was selling them, but have since grown to love them. Great twist on a traditional rice krispie treat!
beantownbaker — February 11th, 2014 @ 12:14 pm
I can’t tell if the naming thing is regional or not. I know people who grew up in Indiana like me who call them Samoas. They’ll always be Caramel Delites to me.
they look sooooo good!
Sharing these in my friday link roundup!
Everyone needs to see these!
beantownbaker — February 13th, 2014 @ 8:49 pm
Thanks for sharing them!!
oh jeez. caramel de lites here, too 🙂 these sound killer!
beantownbaker — February 23rd, 2014 @ 12:47 pm
You’re the first person I’ve met who calls them Caramel de Lites too!
I’ve been wondering why they aren’t always called Samoas!
Are the pecans there for the Samoa flavor or just an extra addition?
beantownbaker — March 18th, 2014 @ 8:03 am
They add some texture but you could leave them out if you wanted.
Awesome recipe! Let me provide a little insight to the naming of the cookies (Caramel deLights vs Samoas my wife is a girl scout troop leader). The girl scouts rely on a few bakeries to produce their cookies. Caramel deLights are made by one bakery, while Samoas are made by another.
Just made these – very tasty, but I had a lot of trouble with the caramel layer. It hardened so much, I couldn’t cut the squares. I had to heat them up a bit to cut through the caramel, and then they got rather sticky and did not cut cleanly. Followed directions exactly, not sure what went wrong…
On Sunday nights, my hubby leads a college-age Bible study group and I use the kids/young adults as my guinea pigs for trying new recipes. I made these yesterday and they LOVED them. Thank you for the recipe!
beantownbaker — September 2nd, 2014 @ 6:59 pm
So glad these were a hit for you! This has become my most frequently made and requested recipe that I’ve made.
Explained well.