Hot Cocoa Brownies

Is there anything better than a warm cup of hot cocoa when its cold and gloomy outside? Delicious chocolate poured into your favorite mug and topped with fluffy marshmallows ready to be enjoyed with a good movie or book. These Hot Cocoa Brownies are a fun twist on the cozy drink. A fudgy brownie is topped with the fluffiest of marshmallow fluff and chopped chocolate. Every bite is like taking a sip of a warm cup of hot cocoa!

These brownies have two parts to them: the actual brownie and the marshmallow fluff topping. The brownies have a thick and fudgy batter that you’ll bake first. Once those are out of the oven and start to cool you’ll get started on that marshmallow fluff. Gelatin and corn syrup are needed for this part in addition to more basic ingredients like sugar and water, but just trust the process. You’ll have the most scrumptious marshmallow fluff at the end of it.

A FEW NOTES BEFORE WE GET STARTED.

• Room Temperature Ingredients:
  • Eggs: You want to make sure that your eggs are at room temperature to ensure that they are properly incorporated into your batter. If you forget to leave them out before you start baking, place them in a bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes until they become room temperature.

• Measuring Your Ingredients:
  • I strongly encourage that you use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients and ensure that you have the most accurate measurements possible.
  • However, if you don’t have a scale on hand and will be using cup measurements, make sure to use the “spoon and sweep” method when measuring to avoid packing in too much of any dry ingredient.

• Oven Temperature:
  • Make sure to preheat your oven for at least 15 minutes before you start baking.
  • I recommend purchasing an oven thermometer to get to know your oven so you can adjust your baking temperatures accordingly. Some ovens run slightly warmer or colder so its important to know yours to make sure your baked goods come out right.

• Check out My Favorite Baking Tools to see what I use when I bake.

Who is ready to bake? Preheat oven to 350º and line an 8 or 9 inch square pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Heat butter and chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring it until it melts. Transfer chocolate mixture to a stand mixer, add sugar and peppermint extract, and mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until it is well blended.

Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt to the chocolate mixture and mix just until combined.

Carefully pour the batter into the pan and smooth it out until it is even. Bake brownies for 40-42 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of it comes out clean. Let the brownies cool on a cooling rack while you get started on that delicious marshmallow fluff.

Once the brownies are about halfway cooled, stir together sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/4 cup water in a nonstick pan. Cook over medium heat, until it reaches 240º F on a candy thermometer. Swirl pan occasionally, but do not stir as it cooks. While mixture cooks, pour the other 1/4 cup water over the gelatin in a stand mixer bowl and whisk to combine. Let the mixture sit for 5-7 minutes to allow the gelatin to bloom, or dissolve.

Once the gelatin has bloomed and sugar has reached 240º F, carefully add the hot sugar mixture to the gelatin. Add in the vanilla and mix on medium-high for 5-6 minutes until mixture has stiffened.

Gently scoop the marshmallow fluff on top of the brownies, using a spatula to spread them out evenly to all corners of the pan until they are level. You can lightly coat your spatula with cooking spray if it sticks too much, but be careful not to use too much.

Sprinkle chopped chocolate on top and cover the pan of brownies in plastic wrap. Let them sit for at least 3 hours until the marshmallow fluff sets. Lightly coat a knife in cooking spray and carefully cut the brownies into three rows one way, followed by four rows the other way to make 12 squares. Leftover brownies can be kept in an airtight container up to one week, but are best to enjoy within the first few days.

Hot Cocoa Brownies

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Is there anything better than a warm cup of hot cocoa when its cold and gloomy outside? These Hot Cocoa Brownies are a fun twist on the cozy drink. A fudgy brownie is topped with the fluffiest of marshmallow fluff and chopped chocolate. Every bite is like taking a sip of a warm cup of hot cocoa!

• Author: Marisa Guerra
• Prep Time: 3 hours and 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 4 hours
• Yield: 12 servings
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

Hot Cocoa Brownies

• 4 oz (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 297 grams (1 1/2 cup) sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 135 grams (1 cup, 2 tbsp) flour
• 31 grams (1/2 cup) cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Marshmallow Fluff

• 148 grams (3/4 cup) sugar
• 117 grams (1/4 cup, 2 tbsp) light corn syrup
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 112 grams (1/2 cup) water, divided
• 10 grams (1 1/2 packets) gelatin
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Instructions

Hot Cocoa Brownies

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Line an 8 or 9 inch square pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
3. Heat butter and chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring it until it melts.
4. Transfer chocolate mixture to a stand mixer, add sugar and vanilla extract, and mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until it is well blended.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
6. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt to the chocolate mixture and mix just until combined.
7. Carefully pour the batter into the pan and smooth it out until it is even.
8. Bake brownies for 40-42 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of it comes out clean.
9. Cool on cooling rack.

Marshmallow Fluff

1. Once the brownies are about halfway cooled, stir together sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/4 cup water in a nonstick pan. Cook over medium heat, until it reaches 240º F on a candy thermometer. Swirl pan occasionally, but do not stir as it cooks.
2. While mixture cooks, pour the other 1/4 cup water over the gelatin in a stand mixer bowl and whisk to combine. Let the mixture sit for 5-7 minutes to allow the gelatin to bloom, or dissolve.
3. Once gelatin has bloomed and sugar has reached 240º F, carefully add the hot sugar mixture to the gelatin. Add in the vanilla and mix on medium-high for 5-6 minutes until mixture has stiffened.

Assembly

1. Gently scoop the marshmallow fluff on top of the brownies, using a spatula to spread them out evenly to all corners of the pan until they are level. You can lightly coat your spatula with cooking spray if it sticks too much, but be careful not to use too much.
2. Sprinkle chopped chocolate on top and cover the pan of brownies in plastic wrap. Let them sit for at least 3 hours until the marshmallow fluff sets.
3. Lightly coat a knife in cooking spray and carefully cut the brownies into three rows one way, followed by four rows the other way to make 12 squares.
4. Enjoy!

Notes

Leftover brownies can be kept in an airtight container up to one week, but are best to enjoy within the first few days.

Keywords: hot cocoa, hot chocolate, brownies, marshmallow