Brittany Clay’s Flourless Hot Cocoa Cookies

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

3 egg whites

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup miniature marshmallows (such as Kraft® Jet-Puffed)

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the powdered sugar and cocoa. Stir in the cayenne, salt, white sugar, and cinnamon until well combined.
  2. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Stir into the dry ingredients until combined. At first it will seem like there isn’t enough liquid – keep stirring and folding together until a thick batter forms. Stir in the vanilla.
  3. Spoon the batter in heaping tablespoons – it will be gloppy – onto a Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet, about 2-inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, until the cookies begin to puff and crackle, then top each cookie with marshmallows and continue baking for another 4-6 minutes, until the marshmallows have puffed/melted, and the cookies are set around the edges.
  4. Remove from the oven and let cool and firm up on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to baking racks to cool completely. Serve warm (and gooey)! These cookies are best eaten the day of and will dry out quickly – Keep in an air-tight container.