Drop cookies get their name from the fact that the soft dough is dropped by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Nuts, fruits, candies, or cereals are often added to give variety in texture and flavor. Sometimes drop cookies are frosted.
Under baking will cause a rough spot in the center of the cookies and over baking tends to make them dry and hard with dark, crisp edges. Drop cookies are done to perfection when they are delicately browned and the imprint made by the light touch of a finger is slightly visible.
When baking a large batch of cookies, some homemakers find the cookies spread out more than desired. Chilling the dough slightly and mounding it up when dropped will help solve the problem. Making sure the cookie sheet has time to cool between batches is another good practice to follow because the heat from the pan causes the dough to melt and spread.
Meringue cookies, sometimes called kisses, are a cross between a cookie and a confection. Depending on the consistency of the mixture, they may be dropped by spoonfuls, forced through a pastry tube, or formed into balls by hand. They often have ground nuts, coconut, crushed candy, or crisp cereal folded in before baking. Although similar to the drop cookie, the macaroon is traditionally made with almond paste. Short cut versions using sweetened condensed milk are popular, also.
Try this easy Macaroon Drop Cookie recipe and see how easy these cookies are to make:
Easy Macaroons
Mix two 8-ounce packages shredded coconut, on 15 ounce can sweetened condensed milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Drop mixture from a teaspoon onto a well greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool macaroons slightly before removing to a rack. This makes about 4 dozen cookies.
