21 delicious old-fashioned drop cookie recipes from the ’50s

The drop-and-bake cookie family is a big one with great variety and much good eating for all.

“Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, on greased cookie sheet” — what a world of good eating those directions foretell!

Recipes for Southern Sour Cream Jumbles, Sponge Drops and Soft Molasses Cookies (1958)

Old-fashioned drop cookies: Southern Sour Cream Jumbles

Ingredients

1-2/3 cups sifted cake flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup soft shortening
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup commercial light sour cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Directions

Start heating oven to 400 F. Sift together flour, soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until creamy, shortening, 2/3 cup sugar, and egg; mix in flour mixture alternately with sour cream; then mix in chopped walnuts.

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, 2″ apart, onto greased cookie sheet. Combine cinnamon and 1 tablespoon sugar; sprinkle a little on top of each cookie. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden. For larger cookies, drop by tablespoonfuls, 3″ apart.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

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Recipes for Shrewsbury Drops, Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies, Brown-Edge Cookies

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Old-Fashioned Drop Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup soft shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg white

Directions

Start heating oven to 375 F. Sift together flour, soda, and salt. Mix shortening, sugar, and egg yolk till fluffy. Mix in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk; then mix in vanilla. Fold in egg white, beaten stiff.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls, 3″ apart, onto greased cookie sheet. With spatula, flatten to 1/2″ thickness. If desired, sprinkle with sugar mixed with chopped nuts, raisins, or grated lemon rind. Bake 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes 2-1/2 dozen

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Old-fashioned drop cookie recipes for Walnut Clusters, Applesauce Cookies, Susan’s Double Chocolate-Walnut Drops

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Old-fashioned drop cookies: Applesauce Cookies

Ingredients

1-3/4 cups sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon powdered cloves
1 cup canned applesauce
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup soft shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup seedless raisins
1 cup ready-to-eat bran flakes

Directions

Start heating oven to 375 F. Sift together flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Combine applesauce and soda. Mix shortening with sugar and egg until creamy. Mix in flour mixture alternately with applesauce. Fold in raisins and bran. Drop by teaspoonfuls, about 2″ apart, onto greased cookie sheet. Bake about 20 min., or until golden brown. If desired, frost cookies with butter or cream cheese frosting.

Makes 3 dozen

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Susan’s Double Chocolate-Walnut Drops

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup soft shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 sq. unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 egg, unbeaten
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet-chocolate pieces
3/4 cup chopped walnuts [or pecans]
Walnut halves

Directions

1. Start heating oven to 350 F. Sift flour, baking powder, salt.

2. In a large electric mixer bowl, with mixer at medium speed, or “cream” (or with a spoon), mix shortening with sugar, then with melted chocolate and egg, until light and fluffy.

3. At low speed, or “blend,” mix in milk, then flour mixture; add vanilla, chocolate pieces, chopped walnuts.

4. On greased cookie sheet, drop cookie mixture by heaping teaspoonfuls, 1 ” apart; press a walnut half into top of some of the cookies. Bake 15 to 18 min. Cool on cake rack.

Makes about 4 dozen

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Recipes for Martas, Israeli Honey Cookies and French Almond Meringues

Israeli Honey Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup soft shortening
1 egg, unbeaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces, chopped

Directions

Start heating oven to 375 F. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt. With electric mixer at medium speed, or “cream” (or with a spoon), mix shortening, egg, vanilla, honey, until very light and fluffy. At low speed, or “blend,” beat in flour mixture, oats, nuts, raisins, chocolate. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet; flatten with tines of a fork. Bake 10 min.

Makes 5 dozen

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French Almond Meringues

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
2 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup ground, blanched almonds

Directions

Start heating oven to 250 F. Boil sugar with water to 265 F. (hard, almost brittle ball). Beat whites till stiff; then pour in sugar syrup in fine stream, beating constantly. When mixture holds its shape, fold in extracts and almonds. Tint pale green with green food color. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto well-greased cookie sheet. Bake 15 min., or until lone. These keep well.

Makes 4-1/2 dozen meringues

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Recipes for Chocolate Macaroons, Date Coconut Macaroons, Almond Wine Biscuits and Real Orange Cookies

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Old-fashioned drop cookie recipes for Brazil Mincemeat Cookies, Chocolate-Banana Drops, Brazil Nut Spice Mounds

Brazil Mincemeat Cookies

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup soft shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon light molasses
1 egg, unbeaten
1/2 cup prepared mincemeat
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup chopped Brazil nuts

Directions

Start heating oven to 350 F. Sift together flour, soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. With electric mixer at medium speed, or “cream” (or with spoon), mix shortening, sugar, molasses, egg, until light and fluffy. Beat in mincemeat. At low speed, or “blend,” beat in flour mixture, along with vanilla, oats, and nuts. Drop by level tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 min.

Makes 6 dozen cookies

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Chocolate-Banana Drops

Ingredients

2-1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup soft shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, unbeaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pkg. semisweet-chocolate pieces, melted
1 cup mashed ripe bananas

Directions

Start heating oven to 400 F. Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. With electric mixer at medium speed, or “cream” (or with spoon), thoroughly mix shortening with sugar, eggs, and vanilla until very light and fluffy. At low speed, or “blend,” beat in chocolate, then flour mixture, alternately with bananas.

Drop by teaspoonfuls, 1-1/2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15 min. While still warm, roll in granulated sugar.

Makes 5 dozen cookies

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Old-fashioned drop cookies: Recipes for Lacy Raisin Wafers, Lollipop Cookies

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Lacy Raisin Wafers

Ingredients

3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup salad oil
1/4 cup water
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups uncooked rolled mats
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions

Sift together flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Rinse and drain raisins; mix with salad oil and water; mix in sugar, vanilla, rolled oats, nuts; then flour mixture. Refrigerate 1 hr. Start heating oven to 350 F. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, about 2″ apart, onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 min., or until crisp around edges.

Makes 3-1/2 dozen cookies

Lacy Coconut Wafers: Omit raisins and nuts. Fold in 1 cup flaked coconut after adding flour.

Lacy Chocolate Wafers: Omit raisins and nuts. Fold in 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces after adding flour.

Lacy Date-Nut Wafers: Omit raisins, old in 1 cup chopped, pitted dates after adding flour.

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Lollipop Cookies

Ingredients

1-3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup soft shortening
1-1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon powdered cloves
1/4 cup sour milk or buttermilk
2 eggs, unbeaten
1-1/2 cups uncooked rolled oats
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Sift about 2 cups flour into bowl. Now measure 1-3/4 cups back into sifter; add soda; sift onto piece of waxed paper.

3. Measure shortening, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves, sour milk, and eggs into big bowl. Beat vigorously with spoon (or use electric mixer) till well mixed.

4. Stir in flour, oats, nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls, 2″ apart, on greased cookie sheets.

5. Make faces with raisins, candied cherries, pitted dried prunes and dates, coconut.

6. Stick 4″ length of a plastic straw into each cookie. [Editor’s note from 2019: Keeping a plastic straw (or anything plastic) in there while baking is not recommended. Try a wooden popsicle stick, or maybe a durable paper straw (and watch them in the oven).]

7. Bake 10 to 15 minutes.

Makes 3-1/2 dozen cookies

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Oatmeal Jumbles

Make Lollipop Cookies (above), omitting steps 5 and 6. Add 1 cup raisins in step 4. Drop by teaspoonfuls, 2″ apart, onto greased cookie sheet. Bake as above.