Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 80 g rolled oats (¾ cup)
- 100 g brown sugar (½ cup)
- 50 g white sugar (¼ cup)
- ⅛ tsp sea salt
- 20 g all purpose flour (2 tbsp) or gluten free flour
- 1 zest of lemon
Wet Ingredients
- 115 g unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 2 tbsp cream (1 – 2 tbsp as needed)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Making Brown Butter: Place the butter in a pot over medium-high heat and stir continuously as it melts. Continue heating to brown the butter, watching carefully as the milk solids sink and caramelize at the bottom, turning golden. Lower the heat to prevent burning and remove from heat when the butter is a shade lighter than dark golden; it will darken further from residual heat. Use immediately or pour into a microwave-safe bowl until needed.
- Preparing Oats: Process the rolled oats in a food processor until finely chopped, or use quick cook or steel cut oats by weight. Set aside.
- Mixing Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the brown and white sugar, sea salt, flour, lemon zest, and processed oats. Mix thoroughly to blend.
- Combining Wet and Dry Ingredients: Add the hot brown butter and vanilla extract to the dry mixture. If the brown butter has cooled, briefly microwave it to reheat before adding. Stir with a rubber spatula until the butter is evenly incorporated.
- Adding Cream and Forming Dough: Mix in 1 tablespoon of cream at a time to make the dough cohesive. The dough will be soft when warm and will thicken as it cools to room temperature, forming a workable dough.
- Preheating Oven and Preparing Pan: Preheat a conventional oven to 350°F / 180°C. Line a half sheet baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Portioning Cookies: Use a tablespoon cookie scoop or measuring spoon to portion dough into 16 g balls for large cookies or halve portions for smaller cookies (8 g). Roll into smooth balls and place on the baking sheet with even spacing—5 large or 7 small per tray. Flatten each ball evenly with fingers or bottom of a glass if using a light-colored metal tray.
- Baking Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes for large cookies or 7-10 minutes for smaller ones until dark golden with thinly spread bubbles or holes. Remove from oven and cool slightly before transferring cookies carefully to a wire rack. Let baking tray cool before reusing.
- Repeating Baking: While the first batch is baking, portion remaining dough for subsequent batches. Repeat baking until all dough is used, producing approximately 20 large or 40 small oatmeal lace cookies.
- Shaping (Optional): Shape cookies while still hot and malleable using a slightly smaller cookie cutter to press neat circles without twisting. For cigar or tube shapes, wrap hot cookie around a lightly greased or parchment-wrapped tube, seal edges, and cool before removing the mold.
- Serving and Decorating: Serve cookies as they are or drizzle/spread melted chocolate on top to create chocolate oatmeal lace cookies if desired.
Notes
- Use gluten free flour if needed to make the recipe gluten free.
- Brown butter should be watched carefully to prevent burning; remove slightly early as it continues to brown from residual heat.
- Oatmeal lace cookies spread very thinly, so space portions well on the baking sheet.
- For dark metal pans, you may need to reduce baking time slightly to prevent over-browning.
- Shaping cookies must be done while they are hot and pliable.
- These cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.
- Adding chocolate decoration enhances flavor and appearance but is optional.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes per batch (about 40 minutes total including baking multiple batches)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
