Currant Cakes (aka Old-fashioned Christmas Drop Cakes)
Adapted from the Pennsylvania Dutch Cookbook (1961): I was immediately drawn to these cookies when I spotted them in the Pennsylvania Dutch Cookbook. I’d been looking for a vintage-style cookie to make for Christmas gifting, and the description beneath the recipe title immediately caught my attention: “The Old-Fashioned Christmas Drop Cakes.” These cake-like cookies are soft, lightly citrusy, and studded with tangy currants - and they are absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter*
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (approximately 1-2 lemons)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (approximately 1 lemon)
- 1 ⅛ cups sugar (1 cup + 2 tablespoons)
- 3 eggs well beaten
- 1 ⅝ cups sifted flour (1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup currants
Optional lemon glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Generously butter your cookie sheets—these cookies will stick to parchment.
- Cream the butter, lemon peel, and lemon juice together until softened.
- Gradually add the sugar, creaming until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs in thirds, beating well after each addition.
- Sift the flour and salt together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture in thirds, mixing just until blended each time (avoid overmixing).
- Fold in the currants.
- The dough will be very sticky, similar to a thick cake batter. If it feels too loose to work with, refrigerate it, covered, until it firms up.
- Drop by spoonfuls (about 1” mounds) onto your well-buttered cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly browned and the tops spring back gently when touched—much like a cake. Try not to overbake.
- If the cookies spread a bit and develop a brown edge, you can trim the edges cleanly with a sharp knife once cooled.
Optional lemon glaze
- Mix the lemon juice with the powdered sugar until the glaze reaches a drizzling consistency.
- Cool completely before drizzling with the glaze.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Yield
- About 38 cookies
Notes
* I typically bake with unsalted butter, but for older vintage recipes I prefer using salted butter to stay true to the original. If you opt for unsalted, simply add a little extra salt to balance the flavor.