Betty's Chocolate Drops

So after I wrote my tribute to my Mom blog, I got a little hankering for those Chocolate Drop Cookies we made in the day, from the Betty Crocker Cooky Cookbook. This will be a shortie because I have already given the history of my beloved cook book, and the future of it should I pass first. Morbid sister of mine! I do remember these cookies fondly, and funny, but you don't really see drop cookies around much. I do understand a little about baking chemistry, and the shortening is crucial, it keeps the cookies fluffy and soft whereas butter would make them spread out and give them crunch. So as unfashionable as it is, I'm am yanking out the Crisco. The rain seems to have passed, and I can easily whip these up before we head off to graduation parties.

The dough comes together easily, although I was a little short on ingredients. I had no unsweetened chocolate, so I used 3 Tablespoons of Pernigotti Cocoa and a Tablespoon of shortening to substitute for each ounce called for. I a was also a little short on sugar (yea, I'm a baker who has no sugar), so I filled the measuring cup with what I had, and added Lyle's Golden Syrup to top it off. Experience tells me that a little corn syrup also keeps things soft, and although Lyle's is cane syrup, same effect, way better taste. And finally, no buttermilk. So again, I punted and used milk soured with lemon juice. The batter got very curdled when I added the sour milk, but came together when the dry ingredients were added. They are a little shaggy and sticky when you put them on the cookie sheet, but they bake into these perfect rounded mounds. We used the recipe for Marie"s Easy Chocolate Icing, but I was a little low on confectioner's sugar, so the frosting was a little thinner than I would like, but we made due. These are cakey cookies, and I enjoyed the cocoa lightness. If I pick a cookbook to cook, this will be it. All those cookie recipes. It's fairly obvious that it is my favorite thing. We'll see what the summer brings! Happy Baking!

CHOCOLATE DROP COOKIES
½ cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 squares, unsweetened chocolate, (1 oz. ea.) melted and cooled
¾ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1¾ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Mix shortening, sugar, egg and chocolate thoroughly. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Sift together flour, soda and salt and blend in. Chill at least an hour.
Heat oven to 400° and drop by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2" apart on Silpat or parchment. Bake 8-10 minutes or until they spring back when lightly touched. Do not over bake. Cool on racks before icing them.

MARIE'S CHOCOLATE ICING
1 Tablespoon butter
1 square (1 oz.) unsweetened chocolate
1½ Tablespoons warm water
2 Tablespoons cream
1 cup or more confectioners sugar

Melt butter in chocolate in double boiler. Blend in warm water and cream then beat in confectioner's sugar until it is proper spreading consistency.