Chocolate Drop Cookies

• ½ cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ cup cocoa
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ¾ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped nuts or coconut if desired

Mix shortening, sugar, and egg. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt & soda. Stir into mixture and blend well. Mix in nuts and chill at least 1 hour. Heat oven to 400° and drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough 2 in. apart onto lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until done.