Hot Chocolate Cookies, and a Cookie Package

This year we decided to have a cookie exchange at work.

 The point was less to gather a huge batch of cookies (26 people were participating, this would have been a little difficult if we wanted to make mass cookies), but rather to gather recipes.  Each person brought two cookies per attendee, and attached their cookie recipe to their bag of cookies.  You can take it home, taste it, and decide if you want to save or toss the recipe (thanks for the idea, Heather.  I work with clever people.). 

I have to admit, it wouldn't matter if someone served me cardboard cookies, I'd never toss a recipe from a friend, recipes are, perhaps, one of my very favorite things on planet earth, especially when they come from people I know...which is why I've spent the last year trying to get to know people on the net so I feel like I know the person behind the recipe!  A cookie/recipe exchange is right up my alley.
Anyone that knows me (probably regrets knowing me at time), but also knows that these sort of activities keep me up at night. 
What will I bake? 
How will I package it? 
What icon will I use on my recipe card?
Where can I find the perfect sticker to seal the packages I decided to use?
Why did Bella kiss that stinky Wolf, Jacob?
...wait....sorry....I got off track. 
I enjoy staying up and pondering life's deepest questions, in fact, I thrive on it, and I like to do it for other people as well.  Ponder your deepest questions.
Anyway, first things first-I decided on a package, the delivery is where most of my projects usually begin.  I saw a cute little cookie package you can sew using wax paper via Better Homes and Garden magazine circa 1998 or something (they used a red stitch, and a little red dot sticker which really popped out better).  My blue stitch didn't show up as well, but 26 bags later, I had already commited to the idea.  Committed being a multiple meaning word you can take in any direction when it comes to me and projects. 
These were really easy to make, and they were even cuter with red stitching.  I tried one with red. 

Then 26 more with blue. 
I yanked out rectangles of wax paper, folded them a little less than half (leaving a flap).  I stitched up the sides of both papers. 

I went with a snowman theme for my hot chocolate cookies, and it only took me 5 stores to finally find a snowflake to double as the seal on my bags.  Did anyone notice?  Probably not, but I knew!  It mattered to me!  Of course, after sewing all my little cookie bags I found an idea I'm 1000% more in love with, but that's fine, I'll save it for next year....yup, 12 months ahead is usually how I work. 

As for the cookies, the original recipe came from Tasty Kitchen, but I found this while living vicariously through Erin at Making Memories (one of my favorite people on the net) who participated in a weekly cookie bake.  I began stalking the weekly links for a really 'wow' cookie, and I saw this cookie posted here. 

Below  is the recipe and instructions I passed out.   Side note,  I find ideas I love, and include the links, but I also retype up the instructions here so I understand them and because I always fear someone will decide to close up shop and the link won't work anymore (it's happened before :O().  BUT....click away on the above link and check out the cute packaging she used!  Here's the process I took....

Hot Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients: 2 sticks room temperature butter, 1 c. sugar, 2/3 c. brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 t. vanilla, 3 1/4 c. flour, 4 pkgs Hot Chocolate Mix (not sugar free) (If you are using your own mix, or mix from a can, this is 3/4 c. of hot cocoa mix), 1 t. salt, 1 1/4 t. baking soda, 1 c. mini chocolate chips, 2 c. mini marshmallows

Instructions:
1. Cream together both sugars and the butter until light and fluffy.

I'm going to say something that is going to sound silly to people that 'really bake,' but I was in my twenties before I figured out that softened butter is not the same as melted.  I figured out when I melted my butter it was not a good thing.  I still have to soften my butter in the microwave b/c I still forget to set it out to soften, but....I've stopped melting it, and some of my sanity has returned....I'm just throwin' that out there....I assure you at some point in my life (probably many points) my Mom taught this to me, and I also assure you, I didn't listen.  It's a talent.Next:  Mix in the eggs and vanilla.

2. In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet.

3.. Add the chocolate chips. Chill dough for 1 hour.

4. Roll into balls and bake on a parchment lined pan in a preheated 350 degree oven for 7 minutes.
5. After 7 minutes, add the marshmallows to the tops of the cookies. You will need to press them in a bit and let them bake for another 2 minutes.
6. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.

Each of my batches made about 40 cookies.
These really were tasty. 

And now...I have 25 more cookie recipes to share/try/work off my hips.
Linking To:  Tatortots and Jello Along for the Ride Funky Junk Sundae Scoop Remodelaholic CraftoManiac