Hey there! These past few days have gone by in a blur considering what has been happening recently. That is to say, I’ve been going through a lot of news, the majority of which has been heartbreaking. The Philippines has gone from typhoon to typhoon and it’s left so many of my kababayans bare and exhausted. With the onslaught of Ulysses combined with the strain of Covid-19, rescue efforts and volunteering has become quite constricted as well. I’m fully aware that this has nothing to do with food but I can’t ignore what’s happening right outside my door. As a result, if you are interested in donating please contact me through this page or leave a comment below. I’ll do my best to connect you to the nearest donation center or community in need of supplies and help.

Now, to the recipe! These hot cocoa tablea cookies are so rich, chocolately and the depth of flavor is insane. The secret is in the tablea. If you aren’t familiar with this type of chocolate, it’s the main ingredient in making traditional Philippine hot cocoa (and in this case, these hot cocoa cookies). Tablea or tableya is made from ground cacao beans and then shaped, as you can guess, into a tablet or a ball. The consistency is a bit crumbly at first but melts well and dissolves quickly in hot water or milk. Similarly, think of it like a hot chocolate mix where you can customize the amount of sweetness and milk you want to add. However, don’t be fooled. Tablea hot chocolate is thick and rich so you can just imagine what it does when added to a cookie. AKA the best darnest thing that you should make.

As a little girl, I would wake up to cups of thick tablea hot chocolate hand whisked with a batirol and it’s become a source of nostalgia for me. A facet that deeply roots me in Filipino culture and always will. As a result I’ve gone through multiple brands, methods, recipes, you name it, all in the pursuit for the best tablea. So to help you in your search I’ve linked some of my favorites below:

Malagos Chocolate Tablea
Argao Guilang’s Tableya
Auro Chocolate Tablea Coins
Cacao de Davao Tablea
Dalareich Chocolate House Tablea

Just A Few Tips

• Firstly, if you don’t have tablea or have trouble finding it you can always use chocolate chips/chunks or a bar of chocolate.
• The next not-so-secret secret is the sugar syrup which achieves two things: makes the cookies extra fudgy and gives it a thin crinkle top layer, very similar to classic brownies. I came across this method from the Loopy Whisk and it has been a game changer.
• When creating the sugar syrup, cook until the sugar has dissolved and no further. You will know when it’s ready, once the syrup is clear and there are no more crystals/granules left. This is all easier and faster than it sounds so don’t worry too much. Also, no need for any caramelization or for the water to evaporate.
• Use the sugar syrup and melted chocolate when warm. This allows you to get the right consistency for your batter and it won’t be dry or too runny (please see pictures of the raw dough for reference). The only problem is the tendency for the chocolate chunks to melt. To counter this, I separate a bit of the chocolate so I can sprinkle them on top just before baking.
• If you love a great mint chip combo, you will love these. They are similar to this cookie but with extra pizazz from dark mint chocolate and some candy cane crunch.

Let me know if you make these Hot Cocoa Tablea Cookies by sharing in the comments below or tagging @unit1404. Can’t wait to see your take on these!

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Hot Cocoa Tablea Cookies

Rich deep double chocolate cookies made with Filipino tablea (chocolate tablets), a ingredient that is traditionally used to make Filipino hot cocoa. Have it together with a glass of milk or if you're feeling dangerous, some hot chocolate.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Filipino, Vegan

Keyword: Dairy Free, Egg Free, Freezer Friendly, Holiday Recipes

Servings: 12 cookies

Calories: 163kcal

Ingredients

• 130 g (1 cup) all purpose flour sifted
• 30 g (¼ cup + 2 tbsp) unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 120 g (6 tablets) tablea
• 35 mL (3½ tbsp) olive oil
• 140 g (⅔ cup) white sugar
• 80 mL (⅓ cup) water
• 80 g (½ cup) dark chocolate chopped
• additional sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C) and line two or one large baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• Place a small pot on the stove and bring the water and sugar to a simmer. Cooking until the sugar is fully dissolved. Making sure not to caramelize the sugars or let the water evaporate too much. We only want to create a clear syrup, nothing more.
• Meanwhile, using the double broiler method or a microwave (on high setting and heating in 30 second increments), melt the tablea and olive oil stirring continuously. Once the tablea has fully melted, stream in the slightly warm sugar syrup into the tablea mixture then pour this into your flour mixture. Stir until incorporated. You can add in your chocolate chunks now, although they will melt a bit since the batter is warm. I don't mind this but if you do, wait a few minutes for the batter to cool down or sprinkle the chocolate over the shaped dough right before baking.
• Using a cookie scoop, transfer the cookie dough to the lined pans, leaving a 1½-inch gap between each cookie and flatten them slightly (they will not spread much). Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cookies have set (keeping in mind that the cookies will continue to bake as they cool on the pan, I usually remove at the 10 minute mark). Sprinkle with some sea salt, grab a glass of milk and enjoy!

Notes

*The tablea can be substituted with chocolate chunks/chips/bars.

*You can use other neutral tasting oils in place of the olive oil. I just like the richness that olive oil adds to chocolate baked goods.

*No need to chill the cookie dough. It solidifies quite quickly once it’s been mixed so I recommend scooping and baking immediately. 

Recipe adapted from the Loopy Whisk

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