Lace Cookies

I ate about 200 of these Lace Cookies while developing this recipe and I’m still not completely decided if they’re more of a cookie or more of a candy. They look a bit more like cookies (with their round shape and the fact we use a cookie scoop to portion out the batter) but the taste and texture reminds me more of candies like my peanut brittle or toffee recipe. They’re flat and thin with a crisp, brittle texture that shatters against your teeth and the cookie starts to melt on your tongue on contact. The flavor is certainly toffee-like and caramelized thanks to the fact that the base of the cookie dough is made by melting together butter, sugar, and corn syrup. Essentially they’re like a candied potato chip. Absolutely addictive and neither Zach nor I can stop eating them. I’m not exactly sure yet how baking with a baby will go, but one way or another these are going to have to make an appearance on my Christmas cookie tray.

What You Need:

Butter. Light corn syrup. I’ve mentioned this before in my sugar cookie frosting recipe and my pecan pie, but corn syrup is not the same as high fructose corn syrup and you really can’t leave it out of this recipe. Sugar. We’re using granulated and light brown sugar here. Salt. Vanilla extract. Flour. Just a bit (¼ cup) helps bind the cookies together. Make sure to measure your flour correctly or your cookies could come out soft instead of brittle. Almonds. You’ll measure these out and then finely chop them. Let’s talk more about this briefly.

Preparing the Almonds

Measure out your almonds and then finely chop them. I’ll usually do this with a large knife the same way I would mince garlic. At least, that’s how I used to do it. Now I just toss the almonds into my food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped (see photo above). Take care that if you are using a food processor you do not over-process the almonds, or you will end up with a paste or almond butter. That won’t work for your Lace Cookies! Some people recommend starting with blanched almonds (ones that don’t have the brown skin on them). I tried these lace cookies with blanched and unblanched almonds (as seen here) and couldn’t tell a difference (except that blanched almonds were a pain in the butt to find!).

Is There a (Nut-Free) Substitute for Almonds in Lace Cookies?

I tried this recipe substituting ⅔ cup of old fashioned oats for the finely chopped almonds and had success making them that way! No other substitutions were needed.

How to Make Lace Cookies

Lace cookies are simple to make, and it all starts by caramelizing a few ingredients in a saucepan on the stovetop. Keep an eye on your cookies as they bake (especially the first batch, in case you need to make any adjustments to subsequent batches). As they bake they will bubble, flatten, and spread. They are usually finished when they are a light golden-brown color and the bubbling has stopped. Be careful, even a minute too long in the oven can end up burning them, and if they don’t bake long enough they won’t crisp up properly as they cool.

How to Store

Store lace cookies in a cool, dry place in an airtight container for up to one week. Because of their candy-like texture you will want to keep away from humidity, and I also recommend separating layers of cookies with parchment paper to keep them from sticking together. Most importantly you want to store them carefully. Lace cookies are extremely thin and brittle, after all. I took a bag to share to Zach’s softball game over the summer (in preparation for baby Luke I did a lot of the development and testing for the recipes you’re seeing now earlier in the year) and dropped it about 3 feet and every single cookie was completely shattered, so pack with care.