Basic Drop Cookies
Add chocolate or other flavored chips, dried fruit, nuts, even small candies; this "mother cookie" is a perfect starting place for all kinds of wonderful variations. Read our blog about these cookies, with additional photos, at Bakers' Banter.
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, light or dark, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tablespoons milk, optional
- 2 cups chips, nuts, and/or dried fruit, optional
Directions
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1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease two baking sheets, or line with parchment. |
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2) Beat together the butter, sugars, salt, vanilla, baking soda, and baking powder till well combined. |
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3) Add the egg, beating till smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl, and beat again till smooth. |
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4) Add the flour, mixing it in completely. |
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5) If you're making cookies using chips, nuts, etc, beat in the milk, then the add-ins. |
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6) If you're making plain cookies, without add-ins, omit the milk. |
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7) Drop the cookies by the traditional "tablespoonful" (actually about 2 measuring tablespoons) onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2" apart. A tablespoon cookie scoop works well here. |
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8) Bake the cookies for 14 to 16 minutes, until they're a light golden brown, and a bit darker around the edges. |
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9) Remove them from the oven, and cool right on the baking sheets. |
Recipe summary
- Hands-on time:
- 12 mins. to 18 mins.
- Baking time:
- 14 mins. to 16 mins.
- Total time:
- 26 mins. to 34 mins.
- Yield:
- 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 dozen medium cookies, depending on add-ins
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- Recipe comments (11) »
Tips from our bakers
- Substitute 1/2 to 3/4 cup King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour for an equal amount of all-purpose flour, if desired.
Reviews
12/22/2009
I will make a recommendation. Retype and repost the recipe without all the postings but with all of the proper corrections. It is way too confusing.
Have you looked at the basic recipe-the one not on the blog? http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/basic-drop-cookies-recipe-hopefully this will help. Almost always there will be a place to click from the blog to the basic recipe. Joan D@bakershotline .
04/13/2009
This is a great adaptable recipe but 14-16 minutes was way too long. After a couple of tries, I made them more along the lines of a traditional drop cookie recipe length of 9-11 minutes and that worked great, but I have a convection oven. The first time I did this, the first sheet I put in got too dark, so I agree with the other comment about this.
Thanks for your reminder that we should check cookies (or any product we bake for the first time) to adapt for our own ovens. Irene at KAF
03/19/2009
Wonderful basic cookie recipe that's a great starter for whatever you want it to be! My family went through an entire batch of dried cherry with dark chocolate chips and walnuts and later this week I think I'll try ginger spice cookies with oatmeal!
02/07/2009
There seems to be a problem proofreading this recipe. 1 tsp of vanilla is now listed twice.
The recipe has been corrected. We apologize for any inconvenience. Molly@KAF
02/07/2009
Your comment section says you corrected the recipe. Where is the corrected version? The one on the website is still incorrect.
This recipe has been corrected. We apologize for any inconvenience. Molly@KAF
02/06/2009
1/2 teaspoon baking powder, is double in the ingredientes, we have to use 1 teaspoon or just 1/2 teaspoon?
Thanks for catching our mistake. We have corrected it now. It is 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder. Mary @KAF
02/06/2009
This is a wonderful cookie. I added pecans and heath bar bits and they are really delicious. BUT, the recommended time of cooking 14-16 minutes was way too long. I have an oven thermometer and it reads exactly at 375 degrees, but my first pan burned. I cooked the remaining cookies for only 12 minutes and that was plenty of time.
02/06/2009
This recipe lists baking powder twice, but no vanilla amount, which is called for in the directions. So, how much vanilla is used?
That would be 1 teaspoon of vanilla. We have corrected that now. Mary @ KAF
02/06/2009
You have 1/2 teap Baking Powder in this recipe twice. Should it be 1 or 1/2 tesp Baking Powder?
I think that has been corrected now. It should read 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. Mary @ KAF
02/06/2009
Which one is correct?
We are waiting for the correction from PJ. We'll update ASAp. Thank you for your patience. Mary @ KAF
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