With Christmas approaching, many cannot wait to crank out the holiday recipes for our friends, family and peers.

I have always loved baking, especially during Christmas time. Below is one of my favorite holiday recipes that is guaranteed to put smiles on the faces of others.

These rich and gooey hot cocoa cookies are perfect for enjoying time by the fire or in the chilly weather. This cookie recipe can be found online at Glorious Treats.

Servings: 18-20

Serving size: 1-2 cookies

Ingredients: 

-1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

-12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

-1 1/2 cups flour

-1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

-1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1 1/4 cups brown sugar

-3 eggs

-1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-25 (approx.) large marshmallows (any flavor)

Ingredients: (homemade icing)

-2 cups powdered sugar

-4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

-1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

-1/4 cup hot water

-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

The homemade cookies call for the ingredients above, but I took the less time-consuming route and grabbed a 24-pack of Double Chocolate Chunk cookie mix from my local grocery store to make baking a little bit easier.

Directions: (with homemade cookies)

1. In a medium-sized bowl, melt butter and chocolate until fully melted. Stir frequently. Once melted, let it cool.
2. In another medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla on low speed until the ingredients come together.
4. Combine all ingredients into a large bowl. While mixing, add flour and stir until it forms a doughy texture.
5. Let it cool overnight with saran wrap covering it.
6. For baking, preheat the oven to 325 degrees and form dough into balls two inches apart from each other. Flatten the balls slightly.
7. Remove cookies from the oven and wait 30 minutes or until they are fully cooled.

These cookies take little time to make and serve as a fun way to spend your time or ease into the holiday spirit.

Directions: (cookies from the box)

1. Follow the steps to bake the cookies from the bag/box.
2. Combine all the ingredients into a large bowl. While mixing, add the flour and stir until it forms a doughy texture.
3. Mix all ingredients with a spoon of your choosing until it becomes a dark and gooey mixture.
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until fully baked.
5. While the cookies are baking, cut marshmallows in half (cut side down) and place on top of the cookies once they are cooled.
6. Return the cookies to the oven for another 2-3 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
7. Mix together all of the ingredients to form the icing and mix together with a whisk.
8. Heat up the boiling water and melt the butter, and then mix the dry and wet ingredients to form icing.
9. Let icing cool.
10. Spoon a small amount of icing on top of each cookie, and spread with the spoon to form an even layer.
11. Top the cookies with sprinkles one by one so the icing does not dry too early.
12. Wait 30 minutes for the icing to harden.
13. Enjoy!

I love adding my own spin everytime I bake them, whether it is a new variety of sprinkles or different marshmallow flavors to help spice things up. These cookies are a wonderful addition to holiday parties, get-togethers and many more.