White Drop Cookie

This is a heritage drop cookie recipe built for volume. One batch makes about six dozen soft, cakey cookies from a straightforward dough of shortening, sugar, eggs, flour, and milk.

The texture here is more like a soft sugar cookie than a crisp snap. Shortening keeps them tender, and the combination of baking powder plus baking soda (dissolved in sour milk) gives them a light, pillowy rise. A touch of nutmeg and vanilla keep the flavor warm without being overpowering.

The baking soda gets dissolved in ¼ cup of sour milk before adding. If you don’t have sour milk on hand, add a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk and let it sit for five minutes.

Pro Tips

• Cream the shortening and sugar thoroughly before adding eggs. This builds the air pockets that make these cookies soft instead of dense.
• Drop by teaspoonfuls and leave space between them. These spread more than you’d expect from such a thick dough.
• Watch them closely near the end. Pull them out when the edges are barely set and the tops still look slightly underdone. They firm up as they cool.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature. The shortening-based dough keeps these soft for 3-4 days.

Variations

• Frost with a simple powdered sugar glaze for a classic bakery look.
• Add ½ cup of dried cranberries or raisins to the dough for a fruit-studded version.
• Replace nutmeg with ½ teaspoon of almond extract for a different flavor profile.