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Double Cruncher Sandwich Cookies

Christmas Chocolate Sandwich Cookie: Double Crunchers

Recipe for sandwich cookie

Double Cruncher recipe card

Although I’ve been making Double Crunchers since some time in the 70s, I have never made the chocolate-filled sandwich cookie any time other than Christmas. They are not handed down by ancestors, but rather by food promoters’ test kitchen. Bless those test kitchens.  So many wonderful recipes in my mother’s and my files came out of test kitchens–printed in magazines, newspapers and on food labels.

However, I am happy to start a tradition and hand them down to my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren (not to mention to you.)

Many cookbooks and on-line recipes include prep time and cooking time for recipes. It gives you a guide not only to how far ahead you have to plan, but as to how challenging  the cookie is going to be. This sandwich cookie is not difficult, but chocolate-filled Double Crunchers take a LOT of time.

And I’m not even counting the difficulty of resisting the temptation to eat all that chocolate filling before it goes on the cookies!!

Double Cruncher Sandwich Cookies

Double Cruncher Cookies must be rolled and then flattened.

I also judge a dish’s difficulty by the number of dishes and pans it takes to complete the job.

Let’s see, for Double Crunchers that would be:

  • Flour sifter.
  • Measuring cups for dry ingredients.
  • Measuring cup for shortening.
  • Measuring spoons.
  • Bowl in which to mash cornflakes and mix in oats and coconut.
  • Bowl for flour and soda.
  • Electric mixer or large mixing spoon.
  • Large Bowl for mixing all the other ingredients.
  • Cookie sheets.
  • Cooling racks.
  • Small saucepan for melting chocolate and mixing other filling ingredients.
  • Large saucepan to hold boiling water in which to put small saucepan.
  • Assorted knives and spoons for spreading,stirring, scooping.
  • Small glass to use to flatten the cookies.
  • Bowl with a little flour to dip flattening glass in.

Actually, it could be worse.

Some Christmas cookies became holiday specials in our house simply because they are not simple.  Anything that takes as long as the Double Cruncher sandwich cookie does to make, is not going to tempt me frequently during the year.

But if I DON’T make them at Christmas, there’s hell to pay.  These are, with not even a close rival, my husband Ken Badertscher’s favorite cookie.  He has no interest in saving them for Christmas eve, or giving them to other people as gifts. As soon as the chocolate/cream cheese filling is slathered between the two crispy cookies, he’s on them like a lion on a gazelle.

So since I do like to have a few for other people (not to mention myself) I almost always make a double recipe, which means they take a good half day to make from start to finish. So please join me for Christmas tea with Double Crunchers.

Cookies: Double Crunchers

Serves 2 1/2 doz
Allergy Egg, Wheat
Meal type Dessert

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Pillsbury's Best All Purpose Flour (sifted)
  • 1/2 teaspoon soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Salt
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 egg (unbeaten)
  • 1/2 teaspoon French's Vanilla
  • 1 cup corn flakes (crushed)
  • 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup coconut
  • 1 cup Nestle's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels (6-oz package)
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1/3 cup Cream Cheese

Directions

Cookie
1. Sift flour with soda and salt; set aside
2. Add sugars gradually to shortening, creaming well.
3. Blend in egg and vanilla; mix well.
4. Stir in flour mixture, then add corn flakes, rolled oats and coconut. [by hand]
5. Shape by teaspoonsful into balls; place on greased cookie sheets. Flatten with bottom of glass dipped in flour.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. [Place on cooling racks as they come out of oven.]
Filling
7. Melt chocolate chips with powdered sugar and 1 Tablespoon water {in small saucempan] over boiling water.
Fillling
8. Blend in 1/3 C cream cheese, beating until smooth. Cool.
Assemble
9. Place flat sides of two cookies together with filling [spread thickly], sandwich style.

Note

I have given you the recipe-- complete with four brand-name products-- just as it came from a newspaper insert that I clipped some time in the 70s. As far as I can tell, French's does not make vanilla extract any more. The other products are available, but that doesn't mean you must use them in this recipe. I found it interesting that the recipe combined products from various companies that advertised in the newspaper supplement.

I have made the cookie with both flaked and shredded coconut. Shredded makes a somewhat smoother cookie. I measure the cornflakes before crushing, otherwise the cookie has too much cornflake.

These cookies do not spread, so you can place them fairly close together on the cookie sheet. You'll have to make them small if you want to actually get 2 1/2 dozen.

Final note. Spread the filling thickly, or you'll have a lot left over and you'll eat it. Then you'll be sorry when you step on the scales.