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Friday, June 22, 2007

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Cookies/Biscuits whatever you wanna call it



Cookies or Biscuits?

What do you call them small round/triangle/square flat-ish not a cake nor a muffin thing baked with flour, butter, sugar and flavourings?

In Australia, they're call "bikkies" as in biscuits (not ecstacy). Cookies, well.. isn't that an American thing? That's the general consensus amongst my friends anyway. I suppose when you refer to biscuit as "the thing you dip into your soup or gravy" it makes a lot of sense to call a bikkie = a cookie.

Me? I think it depends on what it is. A chocolate cookie sounds heaps better than a chocolate biscuit no? A shortbread is a biscuit, something sandwiched with cream or jam should also be called a biscuit, as with anything coated with coconut. Anything else is free for all, except maybe macarons. Anyway, on this blog, any biscuit (that I make) with a chocolate content will be referred to as a cookie :D

Oh, incidentally the comic above is from this site called the Hindu Business Line. The article refers to a tax case between a business called Cookie Man (licensed from Cookie Man in Australia) in India vs the Indian Tax Commissioner. If I read it correctly, Cookie Man in India claimed that cookies were different from biscuit and as such should be entitled to claim a concession under something called a 'small scale industry' exemption. I think the equivalent term in Australia is "small business". Anyway, I'm no tax accountant or anything, but when you get technical like that to get off on paying tax.. well.. I think the word is "dodgy".

Chocolate Peanut butter chip cookies

First discovered at Jeanne's blog, I turned them into a chocolate version when I had a craving for chocolate and found that there wasn't any peanut butter in the pantry. I decided against buying a jar of peanut butter since we don't eat much peanut butter these days and substituted with the equivalent amount of melted dark chocolate. Favourite Brand Name Recipes (FBNR) has the original Hershey's brand recipe Double Peanut Butter Cookies as does Jeanne.

Here's my version:


Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
adapted from Hershey's Double Peanut Butter Cookies recipe

Chocolate Peanut butter chip cookiesIngredients

1 + 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp bicarbonate soda (bicarb)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 62.5g) butter, softened
1/4 cup (62.5g) vegetable shortening
100g dark chocolate (I used 70% Cocoa)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 2/3 cups (one 10 0z. package) Reese's peanut butter chips
(optional - if you leave them out the cookies just won't be "double" peanut butter. Instead, press a single roasted peanut onto the top of each cookie before baking - Jeanne's tip)

  1. Pre-heat oven to 190 deg C.
  2. Break chocolate into pieces and melt in a bowl over simmering hot water. Set aside.
  3. Combine flour, bicarb soda, baking powder and salt.
  4. In a large bowl, beat butter, shortening, melted chocolate, sugars and egg.
  5. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating well. (at this point, the flour and butter mixture may separate into little pieces, but don't worry, just keep beating as they will "come back" together)
  6. Fold in peanut butter chips.
  7. Shape dough into 1-inch (2.5cm) balls.
  8. Place 2 inches apart (as they will expand while cooking) on a lined cookie sheet .
  9. Using a fork dipped in addititional granulated sugar, flatten balls to about a 1/4 inch thickness by pressing tines of fork in 2 different directions to make a criss-cross pattern.
  10. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until set.
  11. Cool slightly, remove from baking sheet to wire rack to cool completely.

Can you see the peanut butter chip?

Verdict: Are you a fudgey-soft and chewey-centered biscuit/cookie person? If so, then You so don't know what you're missing out on! I'm sorry,.. these babies are not for you.

These babies are light, crisp and are the kind that just melts in your mouth cookies (my favourite kinda cookies!) The cookies itself aren't too sweet (because of the dark chocolate) and complements the rich peanut butter chips very well. I think next time I might add some hazelnuts to the recipe, then it'll be Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Hazelnut cookies. Nyum!!


Ed (29.06.2007):
If you live in Melbourne, you might be able to find peanut butter chips at the USA Foods, The All American Groceries in East Bentleigh.

USA Foods Melbourne
11 Nicholson Street
Bentleigh, Victoria
Australia 3204

*I guess you can always substitute the peanut butter chips with chocolate chips and substitute the amount of melted chocolate with peanut butter. It's a bit of a reverse Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cookies but it'll still work! :)

Chocolate Peanut butter chip cookies in a box

13 comments:

Cass said...

Ah, the old cookie/biscuit debate! I tend to go with soft and chewy=cookie, crispy and flaky=biscuit, but as Australians I think we're entitled to pick and choose from British and American English as the mood takes us :p I just wish I had a cookie OR a biscuit right now...

K and S said...

these look great and remind me of the times I would help my mom bake peanut butter cookes. crisp is the way to go for these :)

@JinomTo said...

omg, I was thinking of baking this weekend.. toss up between cupcakes and cookies...hehehehe.... and was thinking about these sort of cookies! ;)

Alas... no baking... baby beckons!

SteamyKitchen said...

I don't think I really use the word biscuit. Its cookies and crackers for me. Very American, I know!

Anonymous said...

I-ling, these are absolutely gorgeous! And you're totally working the photos hon, they look hot!

Anh said...

I don't care how they care called! I just know these cookies/biscuits are absolutely beautiful. I love your photos, very pretty!

ilingc said...

Cass: Yep, the cookie/biscuit debate. Although it will only be fun to argue about it if you have a bucket full of cookies/biscuit to keep you entertained :) I for one totally agree with you on the choice of cookie/biscuit whichever you feel like calling it that day.

Kat: Would you believe that this is the first time I've ever had a peanut butter cookie?! I don't think I know of a place where we can even buy peanut butter cookies, let alone the peanut butter chips in Melbourne. I only manage to get my hands on some because my friend was coming back from NY. She bought me 3 packs worth of peanut butter chips! I'm rationing them! :D

Ali: I saw the baby! You need to give me more details on weight, length and especially NAME! Oh and don't blame the baby for your laziness!

Jaden: What do you call those things that all Americans called biscuits? Dinner rolls? Just kidding. :) Crackers and Cookies are as Australian as Bikkies and Chippies (as in potato chips)

Ellie: Hey you got rid of that cold yet? Thanks mate. :)

Anh: Thanks Anh, I'm glad you like it :)

IronEaters said...

Love the pics, the contrast of the colors ~ pink, green, brown... v nice!

Jen said...

These cookies look wonderful. I love anything with chocolate and peanut butter, they go together so well.
And I love the ribbon around the cookie stack.

Jeanne said...

Isn't this recipe great?? I love your adaptation of it - I'm going to have to try this! The pictures are too gorgeous as well - I love the colours :)

Jeanne said...

And I meant to add - it's biscuits all the way for me. Cookies are definitely an Americanism - I reserve the term for the giant discs you get at shops like Millie's Cookies! But having said that, I guess I would call these peanut butter cookies purely because of their American heritage ;-)

K and S said...

even if you run out of pb chips, you can use peanut butter itself :)

ilingc said...

ironeaters: & jenjen: Thank you. They're my favourite colour combo and the pink ribbons were my favourite too :)

jeanne: The recipe's awesome. I'm glad you came across them. I've been searching high and low for a crispy texture cookies like these. And yes, I'm a biscuit girl too.

kat: That's a fab idea! I didn't think about that. Thanks for the tip :)