Brown Sugar Drops

These old-fashioned drop cookies lean hard on brown sugar for their flavor, giving them a deep caramel sweetness and a soft, chewy center that stays tender for days. Seven basic ingredients, no vanilla, no chocolate, no nuts. Just pure brown sugar goodness.

Buttermilk paired with baking soda gives these cookies their lift and a subtle tang that keeps them from being one-dimensionally sweet. The hour-long chill firms up the shortening-based dough so it holds its shape on the baking sheet instead of spreading into flat, crispy discs.

Chef Tips

• Chill the dough for the full hour. Warm dough spreads too much and you’ll end up with thin, crunchy wafers instead of soft, puffy drops.
• Use the dipping method for measuring flour: dip the measuring cup into the flour bin and level it off. This gives you a slightly denser measure that keeps the cookies thick.
• Space the drops 2 inches apart. These spread more than they look like they will.
• Pull them from the oven when they still look slightly underdone in the center. They firm up as they cool on the sheet and stay chewy inside.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or a pinch of cinnamon for a warmer, spiced version.
• Fold in butterscotch chips or toffee bits to play up the caramel flavor.
• Top with a simple brown sugar glaze: powdered sugar, a splash of milk, and a tablespoon of melted butter.