Basic Drop Cookies

Name: Basic Drop Cookies
Yield: makes about 40
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt; 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda; 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature; 1 cup packed light-brown sugar (or use dark-brown sugar for deeper flavor and color); 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 2 cups desired add-ins (semisweet chocolate chips or chunks; coarsely chopped pecans, walnuts, or peanuts; raisins, dried cranberries, dried sour cherries, or chopped dried fruit such as apricots, dates, or figs)

January 26, 2012

Everyone needs one reliable recipe for an old-fashioned drop cookie. This master recipe fills the bill. It’s simple (no machines necessary—the butter can be creamed by hand, though you can use a mixer for ease) and infinitely variable (modify the dough with any of the add-ins listed below, or split it into two or three batches so that you can make more than one type of cookie at the same time). And if you want, you can bake a portion of it, then form the remainder into balls (on baking sheets) and place in freezer until frozen. Store the frozen balls of dough in a resealable bag in the freezer until until you’re ready to bake; let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking, and bake a few minutes longer than the recommended time. These cookies are somewhat cakey; for a chewier texture, reduce the flour by 1/2 cup and the baking time by 2 minutes.

Recipe notes

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