Sugar Drop Cookies with Oil
I could start this recipe the same way I started my scone recipe. This is an absolute all-time favorite of my family, straight out of the classic Joy of Cooking.* This recipe is as simple as they come and the cookies, well, they look really simple, too. BUT I challenge you to eat just one. I've never seen someone eat less than three (cross my heart and hope to die.) These come together in just minutes and require no preparation or fussy ingredients. The result: a crusty sugar-coated exterior that yields to a dense but soft interior fragrant with cinnamon. I highly recommend dipping in coffee (in the morning? sure. I won't say anything.) This is also one of those recipes that just asks for creative variations. I've mimicked Italian almond cookies by using almond extract instead of vanilla, a simple almond flavored icing, and those tiny colorful sprinkles. I've also used instant espresso powder and used shaved chocolate. Or check out Sarah's delicious variations here!
Sugar Drop Cookies with Oil
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
granulated sugar
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375.
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl,
In a large bowl, beat together oil and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in the vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix to combine.
Roll into 1-in balls and then roll the balls in granulated sugar.
Place on a cookie sheet and bake 12-15 minutes or until set and lightly browned around the bottom edges.
Notes:
The original has you flatten out the dough ball. That yields a less tender cookie. If you don't flatten it, the cookie stays taller (it ends up rather dome shaped) and the center of the cookie is juuuuust baked through, keeping it very soft on the inside. The original also says to just dip the dough in sugar. I roll it and roll it until it's coated, because a crunchy sugar crust is better than a lame sugar sprinkle.
*This recipe can't be found in some newer editions of Joy of Cooking. I got it from my mother's, which was probably first edition. Why those chose to omit it boggles my mind.
