Our New Favorite Cookies

Last week I needed to make cookies for Moe's class party. Instead of the sugar cookies that I usually make, he wanted chocolate. I found a recipe in the 1963 McCall's cookbook that I recently acquired from my Aunt A.

DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE DROPS

1 pkg (6 oz) semisweet chocolate pieces
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup soft butter or margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans


1. In top of double boiler, over hot, not boiling, waterm melt 1/2 cup chocolate pieces. Let cool.
2. Sift together flour, soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In large bowl of electric mixer, at medium speed, beat butter, sugar, and egg until light and fluffy.
4. At low speed, beat in melted chocolate and 1/4 cup warm water.
5. Then beat in flour mixture, just until combined.
6. With spoon, stir in remaining chocolate pieces and nuts. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheets.
8. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to wire rack; cool. Makes about 3 dozen.


I doubled the recipe. I don't know how it was in 1963, but these days a standard size package of chocolate chips is 12 ounces, not 6. I used a stick of butter, not margarine (Moe's dairy allergy is mild enough that I can get away with doing this), and instead of two eggs I mixed one heaping tablespoon of Ener-G Egg replacer with 1/4 cup water. Supposedly this recipe makes three dozen if you don't double it, but I only got about 3 1/2 dozen cookies when I did. And since Moe is allergic to nuts, I left those out.

It's not easy to find chocolate chips that have NO dairy, are made in a nut-free facility, and are gluten-free. The kind I used to get for Moe at the health food store were sweetened with barley malt (which contains gluten) and cost nine bucks per pound. I was excited to find these store-brand ones for two bucks a bag. I've been eating them right from the package.

You don't really need a double-boiler; a small metal bowl over a pan of hot water works just fine.

Mmmmm...they sure did smell good!

The cookies were a huge hit both with the kids at school and with our family. You would never guess they were egg free!

It's probably a good thing that I'm on a gluten-free diet these days, because I'm sure I would have eaten way too many of these. One day when I'm brave enough I'll attempt a gluten-free version.

Wanna see our new favorite egg-free cake? Click here!