When I was growing up, everyone in my family could cook or bake or do both, equally well. We weren’t fancy cooks or bakers, just good at comfort foods and family favorites. One of the family faves was “Triple Chocolate Doodles” that my grandmother baked. As I grew older, I realized it was actually a variation of the “Snickerdoodle,” a vanilla flavored cookie dough, soft enough to drop from a teaspoon, onto a cookie sheet. Snickerdoodles were good too, but if your tummy had a craving for chocolate, then the Triple Chocolate Doodles filled the bill.
The problem is, Grandma didn’t have a written recipe for this family favorite. It was made so often, the recipe was engraved on her brain. It wasn’t exactly a real recipe when Grandma would show her grand-daughters, “Now, a chunk of butter like this, a couple of large eggs, a dollop of vanilla, cups of flour plus a smidge, until the dough feels right. . . .” and as she was talking, my tiny grandma would be beating the life out of the butter and eggs. Fry’s cocoa powder played a huge part in the recipe as well as lots of chocolate chips. When the cookies were hot out of the oven and cooling on the racks, Grandma would add the finishing touch by drizzling melted dark chocolate over each doodle.
Every time Grandma made these, they were melt-in-your-mouth delicious and absolutely fail-proof. It didn’t matter if you asked what precise measurement would make a “chunk” or how much exactly was a “dollop?” After all, it had to be the same every time because scientifically, a more or less difference in chunks or dollops would produce a less than perfect triple chocolate doodle, right? At least, that was my logical reasoning. And another thing, when does the dough feel right?
Well, I just figured out the secret of the family recipe–precise amounts of ingredients won’t work. Throw logic out the window. Go with the chunks, dollops and smidges. Add lots of chocolate and a heaping amount of love. Triple Chocolate Doodles are still a winner and absolutely fail-proof when you use “Grandma’s recipe” with her own special measurements.
chocofigbee 
These sound amazing, and I would love to taste one. ~nan
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I think it’s because of all the chocolate in it, Nan–that’s what’s so delicious. You’re welcome to the recipe even though it’s chunks, dollops and smidges. . . 🙂
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Mom is like you Grandma – no recipes. Just, “Well, I did this, and add that…” No real measurements, just talk about the color and the taste, and, “About how long she thought it usually takes.”
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All of my Grandma’s recipes were like this and they all turned out terrific! Bet that was just like your Mom’s–perfect and tasty! 🙂
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Excactly!
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How mouth-watering!
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I’d REALLY love to know how much chocolate you add to the snickerdoodles. I just made a regular batch with my (6 year old) grandson and they turned out great. But a chance to make CHOCOLATE snickerdoodles is too temping to miss…. 🙂
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I usually add a generous 1/2 cup of Fry’s Cocoa, which isn’t sweetened so a bit more sugar is added to the recipe and a tad less flour. After it’s baked and still warm from the oven, I drizzle a melted Belgian dark chocolate bar on the top of each doodle—my cousin told me a square or two of melted Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate in a dollop of melted butter works too if you can’t get Fry’s Cocoa. Snickerdoodles are so much fun to make with little ones–tastes better, too right? Hope this works for you, Pam!
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THANK you! Never heard of Fry’s chocolate so will use the Baker substitute you suggest. Love baking with little ones- this weekend the 8-year-Old coming over to make Xmas Kiss cookies. 😍
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Making minced tarts this morning to share with our visitors this afternoon—company, (big ones and little ones,)– and Christmas baking seems to go hand-in-hand. Love this 🙂
Have fun with your 8 year old. . . .
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