Double Treat Cookies

Another recipe from childhood – this is a family favorite that Mom would frequently make while we were growing up. Even later, after I’d moved away and came back only to visit, there was always a tin of these cookies in the freezer that would come out when I was there. And gotta admit, they are pretty good just out of the freezer as well, or with ice cream, or, or…!

The “double treat” is the peanut butter / chocolate chip combo, and who could argue with that as an excellent flavor duo?

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We never put anything like a peanut or chocolate chips on top growing up – they really don’t need it. That’s just my addition to dress these up a tiny bit for afternoon tea. They’re hard to get completely even in size – when they bake up in the oven you get cracks, so consistency is not their middle name.

That being said, they are totally worth the calories – I don’t know anyone in my family who doesn’t like them, and the grandkids will eat them two-fisted! There’s something about the addition of brown sugar to the mix, gives them a nice molasses-y chew.

The other good news is that they are the easiest biscuits to pull together – it’s a two-bowl recipe only because you’ll want to whisk the dry ingredients together in one and mix the wet in another.

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Once the dry and wet ingredients are mixed together, just add the chocolate chips and stir them in. I ended up mixing regular-sized and mini chocolate chips this time because I didn’t have enough of either. And for the smaller size I was making, the mini chocolate chips are better anyway.

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It’ll be a rather dry batter, and there’s plenty of it – about 7 dozen if you make normal sized cookies (dough balls about 1 inch in diameter before baking), and obviously closer to at least half again if you make the dough balls with the teaspoon measure like I did this time.

I just happen to like the smaller size – maybe it makes me feel a little bit better about how many I eat!

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As noted, I used a teaspoon measure to make them about half-size of what we made them growing up. Just form them into balls and place them on a cookie sheet (I always use parchment, just habit, and it makes it easy to just slide a whole fleet of them off the hot baking pan and onto the cooling rack when you’ve pulled them out). They will expand and grow a little, so leave a little space.

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After that, just take the smooth bottom of a glass and dip it in granulated sugar, then press it down on the top of the cookies, just a little, don’t have to press hard or make them really flat. They’ll flatten out a bit more anyway when they bake.

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Finally, I added a half a roasted peanut or several mini chocolate chips on the top, pressing them in just a little, before putting them in to bake.

Then they get baked until golden brown. Let them sit for awhile on the cooling rack – they’ll be nice and crisp around the edges, and chewy in the middle.

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I think they make a great addition to an afternoon tea plate, and you can’t go wrong with something that’s not only easy to make and delicious, but can be made ahead of time. Bon appetit!

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