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Last year, my guy basically forgot about Valentine’s Day. In his defense, he volunteered every Friday night that year, regardless of the month or day, so… It was just his luck that Valentine’s Day fell on a Friday. Whoops!
The same day he realized his scheduling dilemma, just over a week before the actual holiday, we happened to stumble across a deal for majorly discounted tickets to a game for our favorite hockey team. As two big sports fans, we decided that would be a decent compromise, so we drove to the arena two days later.
Even though I adore the sport and get just as into the cheering and booing as my guy, I’m never fully prepared for the frigid temperatures. I wore two pairs of socks, warm boots, two jackets, a thick knit sweater, and fleece-lined gloves, but I still had to walk out to the concourse during intermissions to thaw my fingers and toes!
It was all worth it when we walked away with a win, but still… Amy and cold just don’t mix! So for this year’s Valentine’s Day, I wanted the exact opposite: warm, spicy flavors.
And after walking down the candy aisle, these Chocolate Red Hot Cookies were born! They’re the chewiest, fudgiest chocolate cookies that you’ll ever eat with the perfect amount of warmth from the cinnamon candies. I had to hide the cookies from myself… I ate three as soon as they came out of the oven!
I know, I know. I’m sure you’re thinking I’ve gone crazy. Putting red hots in cookies? Hard, spicy, cinnamon candies? In soft, chewy, practically brownie-like cookies? Believe me, I waffled for days about whether they were even worth trying to bake…
But oh my goodness, I am SO glad that I did. The red hots soften just enough in the oven so they aren’t teeth-breaking hard, and we’ll crush them into tiny pieces, which means you get a small hint of heat in every bite as opposed to a big chunk.
These cookies are similar to eating chili-spiced dark chocolate, if you’ve ever tried that. Enough spiciness to taste, but not enough to send you gulping down three glasses of water. Just perfect!
To make sure these cookies turn out extremely fudgy, it’s important that you do not overbake them. About 9 to 11 minutes is all they need. They should feel ever so slightly underdone when you pull them out, but this ensures that they stay soft and chewy for an entire week—if they last that long!
But with how many I’ve eaten… And how many batches I’ve already baked… Somehow I doubt that’ll happen!
| Chocolate Red Hot Cookies | Print |
- ⅔ c (80g) all-purpose flour (measured correctly)
- ⅓ c (27g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured correctly)
- ¼ tsp (1g) baking powder
- ⅛ tsp (1g) salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp (5mL) vanilla extract
- ½ c (106g) light brown sugar
- 36 red hot candies (about 1 ½ tbsp), crushed
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the sugar. Add in the flour mixture, stirring until just incorporated. Fold in ⅔ of the crushed red hot candies.
- Drop the cookie dough into 12 rounded scoops onto the prepared baking sheet, and press the remaining crushed red hot candies into the tops. Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
It’s extremely important to measure both the flour and cocoa powder correctly with the spoon-and-level method (see the link above). Too much of either will dry out the cookies, and they won’t be soft and chewy.
{low fat, low calorie}
More recipes with red hot candies from other food bloggers…
♥ Red Hots Muddy Buddies by Crazy for Crust
♥ Red Hot Cinnamon Apple Cake by Dessert for Two
♥ Apple Cider Whoopie Pies with Cinnamon Red Hot Frosting by Inside BruCrew Life
♥ Red Hot Velvet Cupcakes by JavaCupcake
Mmmm… those do look like brownies!! YUMMERS!
Thanks Andrea! 🙂 You know how much I love brownies…
what perfect cookies for valentines! these look so cute and delicious too. love it!
Thanks Thalia!
These are so perfect! I love spicy chocolate, and these look such a perfect combination of brownies and spicy red hots. Here’s to hoping your Valentine’s Day is a little warmer this year!
Thank you Elizabeth! I’m a huge fan of spicy chocolate too. At one point, I had 5 bars all from different brands in my pantry!
I LOVE spicy sweet stuff. I just purchased a wasabi ginger chocolate bar, I LOVE IT. I haven’t been to a hockey game in years, but they are so fun!
I need that chocolate bar Brittany!! Where’d you find it?
These cookies look phenomenal Amy!
Thanks Jessica! 🙂
I LOVE red hots, and I bet they would be SO good with chocolate!! here’s to staying warm this valentines
Thanks Heather! Hopefully we’ll have decent weather this year in our neck of the woods! 🙂
Shelley and cold just don’t mix all that well either! 😀 But yep – these cookies would warm me right up (and make any hockey game even sweeter)! So cute, so festive for Valentine’s Day! Pinning, my dear (and, in exchange, you can thank me by packaging up some warm, balmy sunshine and Fedexing it to me ASAP)!
Then come on over and move out here with me Shelley! 😉 As soon as the clouds disappear, I’m sending that package your way!
Aww – I feel you! Sarah and cold don’t mix either. Just the thought of sitting there for over an hour is making me shiver. I hope your guy remembers V-day this year;) Lucas will LOVE these cookies – he’s not big on sweets, but he loves the spicy chocolate combination! Chewy brownie cookies? I’m in.
Lucas sounds just like my guy if he isn’t big on sweets, but at least he actually likes some form of chocolate! I’m not that lucky with mine… Or maybe I’m extremely lucky since he won’t steal my stash!