Old-Fashioned Christmas Drop Cakes

These heritage Christmas cookies date back to a time when holiday baking meant simple ingredients handled with care. A pound of butter, a pound of sugar, six eggs, flour, currants, and fresh lemon zest and juice. That’s the whole recipe. No leavening, no spices beyond the lemon. Just a rich, buttery batter studded with currants.

The technique is what makes them special. Drop spoonfuls of batter onto a buttered pan, then press them flat with a knife. The thinner you press them, the better they bake. Thin drop cakes crisp up into delicate, lace-like wafers with chewy bits of currant throughout.

The old-fashioned trick of warming the pan slightly before dropping the batter lets the cakes spread and melt a bit before they hit the oven. This helps them go ultra-thin without tearing.

Pro Tips

• Toss the currants in flour before adding to the batter. This prevents them from sinking to the bottom.
• Butter the pans generously. These are thin and sugary, and they will stick to anything.
• Press each drop as flat as possible with a wet knife. Thickness is the enemy of crispness here.
• Work the butter and sugar together until truly smooth and creamy before adding the eggs one at a time.

Variations

• Swap currants for dried cranberries for a tart, festive twist.
• Add a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom for extra warmth.
• Dip cooled cookies halfway in melted dark chocolate for a dressed-up holiday presentation.