The Augusta area has seen its fair share of bakeries and specialty cake shops. Cake shops haven’t lasted too long, and let’s face it; many of the best cakes we get are from local restaurants. Cupcakes have also had their moments, and pie is ubiquitously omnipresent thanks to Publix, Huddle House and virtually all other places you can acquire food. Even chocolate has its own fabulous local mecca in La Bonbonniere.
It is rare, however, to see a single business dedicated entirely to cookies.
Two Moms Cookies is an exception to this rule. Since 2011, the bakery has forged ahead and created a stable niche for itself without much by way of any real competition. Self-described as a “quaint boutique,” Two Moms Cookies offers old-fashioned, handmade cookies with bonus features, such as chocolate chips, ginger, oatmeal raisin, butterscotch chips, peanut butter, pecans and many combinations of these staples.
The store relocated not so long ago. It’s now inside the old fire station on Central Avenue behind Daniel Village. The light streams through the large windows, custom designed to fit the front fire station doors. The brick façade and white trim is a wonderful staple of Augusta architecture, and along with the Two Moms Cookies blue branding, brings to mind an America of years past. Wholesome, and full of home-baked goodness, and it does smell divine on the inside.
The people behind the counter are super friendly, know their baked treats, and have mastered friendly customer service so much I actually wanted to talk with the lady who served me. That doesn’t happen all the time. They are also an affordable indulgence — you can get a half dozen of their massive cookies for under $10, while a dozen is $18.
On display and clearly labeled, the first thing you notice about the cookies (aside from the aroma) is their size. Incredibly huge, the cookies at Two Moms Cookies are almost as big as my face — that’s not an exaggeration. On average they measure at 6 inches in diameter and more than an inch in thickness — put two together and they look like a meal. Buy six and try to stack them without toppling any and you could come up with some kind of bizarre and delicious cookie-based drinking game.
Owned by Maggie Douglas, the bakery provides cookies baked from scratch with no preservatives. Using some of the most popular ingredients — peanuts, chocolate and more — each cookie is a simple blend of all your childhood cookie memories, desires and ambitions. The recipes are a family thing, originating from the Savannah cookie shop Two Smart Cookies, owned by a cousin of Maggie’s husband, who shared her recipes and approved of the Augusta store. (Thank you Maggie’s husband’s cousin!)
Since opening, the shop has become a popular place for individual and group customers, especially during the holidays. Two Moms Cookies can handle everything from small orders to large events and occasions, such as office parties, weddings and birthdays. Very flexible, the shop will work with their customers on design and type of cookie and offer the traditional cookies and iced sugar cookies. The only time this may not be the case is in the later weeks of the holiday season, such as now when we’re only days from Christmas weekend.
That said, you can still walk into the shop for your ready to buy cookies and cookie bars.
Being the holidays, Two Moms rolls out some seasonal faves, such as a chocolate chip and craisin oatmeal, Snickerdoodles and a gingerbread cookie. The traditional chocolate chip also meets praline in one of the many sublime combos, and I had to also devour a peanut butter, a Monster Cookie (which contains M&Ms and is giant), and a plain chocolate chip.
The ginger was a revelation. I don’t usually enjoy gingerbread, if only because the actually spice itself is often washed out by too much added sugar. That is not the case here. The cookie was chewy, moist and strongly flavored by the ginger, but sweetened by the sugar. If my gingerbread houses tasted like this, I wouldn’t end up throwing half of them in the trash each December 26.
Each cookie has its own appeal, and I really cannot single out one that was better than any of the others. The Snickerdoodle — which replaces sugar cookies for December only — is a guilty pleasure, and would likely be a big hit with those of us who’ve spent quality time with raw cookie dough and a bottle or two of wine. The pecan and praline double chocolate chocolate chip sounded like it would leave a cloying film of sugar behind, but I was totally wrong. Perhaps now my favorite, the nuts and chocolate didn’t vie for attention, instead complementing one another without leaving any saccharine coating behind. Beautiful.
Each bite of every cookie was mouthwateringly satisfying, and after I finished one, from somewhere deep within a warm glow of a chocolate/vanilla/nut embrace, my brain whispered, “it’s okay if you eat just one more…”
So it went, until I found myself, tummy distended, staring at the large white empty box. Perhaps, as someone who also appreciates less sugary European style cookies, my only complaint is that I did need a glass of milk when I ate one. (Or more. I mean, I ate like eight cookies.) And seriously, that’s really not even a complaint, is it? More like a head’s up.
Hey, hope these are the cookies you’re leaving out for Saint Nick, but just so you know, he’s gonna need some milk, too.
Two Moms Cookies is located at 2830 Central Avenue. Open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5.30 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. To place an order, or just chat about cookies, call them on 706-755-2664 or find them online at twomomscookies.com.
