Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies

A Taste of Mystic Water’s Holiday Magic

In The Baker’s Man, Anna O’Brien doesn’t just bake pastries. She creates edible magic! Her bakery, nestled in the heart of Mystic Water, is the kind of place where enchantment is baked into every treat.

Inspired by Anna’s ability to turn heartache into hope (and flour into something magical), these Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies are pure holiday comfort. They’re rich, warm, and just a little bit spellbinding, just like your favorite winter drink but made into a cookie.

You'll love the deep cocoa flavor that melts in your mouth and the kiss of cinnamon and a whisper of spice. The cookies have a soft, chewy texture that is made for fireside reading, snow-dusted evenings, and late-night heart-to-hearts. They offer magical energy that will spread from your kitchen and straight into your heart.

Anna would absolutely bake these during the holidays, probably while humming to herself, trying not to think about a certain very charming man who may or may not have come to life under mysterious circumstances.

Watch a fun video of me making these cookies!

And while these cookies won’t conjure up your perfect man (unless you count the perfect cookie), they will create smiles, spark nostalgia, and maybe even give you a moment of peace in the holiday rush.

📖 Haven’t read The Baker’s Man yet? It’s full of whimsy, small-town Southern charm, and a bakery with just the right amount of magic. Grab your copy here!

So go ahead and preheat the oven, put on your apron, and bake up a batch of warmth, wonder, and chocolatey goodness.

Spiced Hot Cocoa Cookies with Marshmallow Middles

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

1 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped

¾ cup AP flour

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

3 tablespoons black cocoa powder

¾ teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping: mini or large marshmallows

Directions

1. Add the butter and chocolate to a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30-second intervals, stirring frequently, until smooth.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoas, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

3. Using a mixer, whip sugar and eggs until voluminous and pale, 5–6 minutes.

4. Add melted chocolate mixture and vanilla, mix until combined.

5. Add the flour mixture to the mixer, and mix until incorporated, less than 30 seconds.

6. Cover dough and refrigerate for 1–2 hours.

7. Preheat oven to 325F and line baking sheet with parchment.

8. Scoop cookies into balls. Bake for 8–9 minutes until cookies are puffy but still soft.

9. Remove from oven, and add marshmallows. Bake for 3–5 minutes until marshmallows have puffed. If desired, using a torch to broil marshmallows.

Recipe adapted from @kingarthurbaking

Some dreams require a little magic!