HOT CHOCOLATE COOKIE CUPS

Step 1

Making the cookie cups: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.

Step 2

With a hand mixer, cream together sugar and butter. Add egg and vanilla. In separate bowl, combine sour cream, salt and soda. Add flour and sour cream to butter mixture, beat until smooth. Add 2-3 TBSP holiday sprinkles and mix just until combined. Scoop dough out using a 2 TBSP cookie scoop and put one in each mini muffin cup. No need to roll the dough to make it smooth- it will all bake the same.

Step 3

Bake cookies for 15-18 minutes, making sure they’re not getting too brown at the end. {If they are, pull them out.}

Step 4

Right after you take them out, use a small measuring spoon to push into the middle of each cookie cup, creating a space for the fudge filling to go. You don’t want to push through the cookie completely- but make sure you create a big enough space.

Step 5

Let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then gently run a thin knife along the sides to pop them out. If you greased the pan well, you shouldn’t have any problems here!

Step 6

To make the fudge filling: Combine the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a microwave safe bowl. Mix lightly and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes. I have a powerful microwave, so mine only took 1 minute. The mixture doesn’t look melted, but give it a few gentle stirs and you’ll see it’s heated well enough. Add vanilla and stir again until smooth.

Step 7

Transfer about 3/4 the fudge into a quart-sized ziplock bag. Squeeze the fudge into a corner and snip the corner off. Now you can easily pipe the fudge into the cookies! The great thing about this fudge too is that it sets up super fast, so feel free to fill the cookies well, so that the fudge goes above the cookie- it will set up and not run out!

Step 8

If your fudge gets too solid, just pop it back in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.

Step 9

To assemble the cookies: Cut the rounded part off the candy canes and adhere them to the side of each cookie cup with melted white chocolate. This is actually real easy- just put white chocolate on the cut portion of the candy cane, press it to the side of the cookie cup, then set it down on the counter until white chocolate is solid. After about a minute, the candy cane handle is well attached to the cookie cup!

Step 10

Fill each cookie cup with fudge. Place several tiny marshmallows on top. Let cool.

Step 11

Store cookies in an airtight container on the countertop, or in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Step 12

*The tiny marshmallows can be found next to the hot chocolate. My grocery stores no longer carry the separate containers of them, so I buy the "Marshmallow Lovers" hot chocolate packets. Inside the box the hot chocolate and tiny marshmallows are in separate envelopes. You'll need about 2 envelopes for this recipe.