Chocolate Walnut Drops – waiting while I pour a cup of coffee.
Grandma Elsie specialized in cookies. I never knew her to bake anything that used yeast, but BOY could she bake cookies. To this day, my six favorite cookie recipes came from Grandma. The only trick was, you had to grab one or two right away before Grandpa lit up a cigar. No one ate day old cookies at their place – at least, not twice! That cigar smoke could permeate anything, and had no trouble getting through plastic wrap or foil.
That was actually a shame in this instance, since the cookies I’m going to show you today actually get softer and moister more moist moister with age.
After fifty or sixty years of baking you’d think she’d have her recipes memorized (she could play complicated piano pieces from memory, for crying out loud) but no – she’d get out her little metal recipe box and follow it step by step, measuring carefully with all of her ingredients organized and ready to go before she started. Obviously, baking techniques are not genetic.
Mmm mmm, love these babies!
I just baked her Chocolate Walnut Drop Cookies last night for a baking competition at the grange, along with some Perfect Dinner Rolls. See my last baking blog for the roll recipe. The rolls won best of class (that’s better than blue…it’s the coveted purple ribbon) so they’re going on to state competition. The cookies, however, were “too dry, and the frosting overwhelmed them. Not enough flavor.” Seriously? Of course they’re dry; they’re cookies, not brownies or cake! Biting through the frosting to get to the cookie is the best part. Pffft.
That’s okay – you win some, you lose some. They’re still one of my favorites. See what you think!
| Chocolate Drop Cookies | Print |
- 2 one-ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1½ cup flour
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- Icing:
- 1 square unsweetened chocolate
- 4-6 tablespoons cream
- 1½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- (Chopped walnuts to sprinkle over icing, if desired)
- Heat oven to 375 F.
- Melt 2 squares unsweetened chocolate with ½ cup milk. (Microwave is fine.) Stir well and allow to cool slightly.
- Cream the butter and brown sugar well.
- Add egg and beat well.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients and the chocolate mixture alternately to the creamed mixture, beginning with the dry ingredients and ending with the chocolate mixture.
- Add the vanilla and nuts.
- Drop by heaping teaspoonful (or small cookie scoop) onto lightly greased baking sheet.
- Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes. Cool on a rack. (Don't overcook or they will be dry. Try checking with a toothpick if you're not sure they're done.)
- ICING:
- Melt the chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave.
- Add 4 tablespoons cream, the powdered sugar, and the vanilla.
- Stir to combine.
- Add enough remaining cream to make icing easily spreadable.
- Spread on the cookies and top with chopped walnuts.
Cream the butter and brown sugar together well.
Alternate adding dry ingredients and wet ingredients.
Carefully measure the vanilla (bwa ha ha) and add the chopped nuts.
Scoop ’em onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
Baked and ready to be frosted.
I really really wanted to post this blog with a picture of a blue ribbon. Sigh. I’m not a sore loser – no sir. Huh uh.
LOL. This recipe sounds great. Too bad those judges have taste in their tuchas.