I tried my hand at my first recipe from my grandmother’s cookbook. Let me just say, I love this cookbook!
The cookie section of this cookbook is genius! It gives you a “key” recipe and then several variations for that recipe. Today I tried out the sour cream drop cookies, in a chocolate variety, because everything is better in chocolate!
I should warn you that there is a learning curve to cooking out of a cookbook from 1950. The recipe is called “Sour Cream Cookies” and therefore, sour cream is obviously an important ingredient. I figured that since it’s an important ingredient, I wouldn’t do my usual swap for the light version, and I used whole fat sour cream. After I had the batter all mixed and was scooping the cookies onto a baking sheet, I noticed this in the corner of the page.
If you bake a lot, you probably know this is the typical substitution for buttermilk. Not sour cream. Buttermilk and sour cream are pretty different ingredients. One goes great on a taco, the other, not so much. I have used both in cake recipes before, so I hadn’t completely lost hope, but I’m not quite sure these cookies turned out as they were supposed to! I’ll give them another shot with buttermilk someday.
The orignial recipe also called for a baking temperature of 425! The first batch came out black on the bottom! So I adjusted the baking temperature to 375 and the following batches came out perfectly.
These soft cake-like cookies were just begging for a little frosting, so I topped them with a chocolate ganache, which is pretty rich, so grab a glass a milk for these!
CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM DROP COOKIES (yield approximately 4 dozen cookies)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
1 cup sour cream (or buttermilk)
1 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375.
Mix together butter, sugar, and eggs. Add melted chocolate and stir until thoroughly combined. Stir in sour cream (or buttermilk) and vanilla.
Sift together the remaining dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips) and gradually stir into the chocolate mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips.
If using the buttermilk, chill at least one hour. Drop by by rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool and top with ganache.
GANACHE
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 – 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 – 1 cup powdered sugar
Melt chocolate with 1/3 cup of cream in the microwave in 30 second increments until chocolate begins to melt. Stir until smooth. Add 1/2 cup sugar and stir until smooth. Continue adding cream and sugar by tablespoon until desired consistency and sweetness.
simmer & savor 
i was laughing my head off when i read this post . i did the same thing , added deans sour cream . i saw the picture in the corner but didn’t pay much attention . cookies were disappointing , not terrible , but more like a muffin . i plowed ahead and frosted them with brown putter icing . pawned them off on my dad , who quite enjoyed them , especially with his coffee .
i know what vinegar is but what is sweet cream .?
I made the same mistake with the sour cream! So funny …same book too. Picked it up at st vinny store for a dollar ..excellent conditoon too. My mom laughed too, shereceived same book ,, spiral style , as wedding gift 1951 .