Chocolate Drop Cookies

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 ounces melted unsweetened chocolate (cool)
  • ⅓ cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour*
  • ½ teaspoon soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
  • Chocolate Icing or Browned Butter Icing (below)

Directions

  1. Mix thoroughly butter, sugar, egg, chocolate, buttermilk and vanilla.
  2. Stir in flour, soda, salt and nuts.
  3. Cover; chill 1 hour.
  4. Heat oven to 400°.
  5. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.
  6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched with finger.
  7. Immediately remove from baking sheet; cool.
  8. Frost with Chocolate Icing.

*If using self-rising flour, omit soda and salt. If using quick-mixing flour, increase buttermilk to ½ cup.

Chocolate Icing

  1. Melt 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter or margarine over low heat.
  2. Remove from heat; blent in 3 tablespoons water and about 2 cups confectioners’ sugar.

Browned Butter Icing

  1. Heat ¼ cup butter or margarine over low heat until golden brown.
  2. Remove from heat; blend in 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and about 2 tablespoons light cream.

Variations

  • Chocolate-Cherry Drops: Omit nuts and stir in 2 cups cut-up candied or maraschino cherries. Use Chocolate Icing.
  • Cocoa Drop Cookies: Increase butter to ⅔ cup; omit chocolate and stir in ½ cup cocoa.
  • Double Chocolate Drops: Stir in 6 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces.