Oatmeal Lace Cookies

By cacelias

I had these cookies at a local restaurant and they were delicious. I became obsessed with trying to find a recipe for them as I had never heard of them before. I tried several recipes that I found on the internet, but they were unsuccessful. These however, worked out perfectly. You can add the orange zest or leave it out, whichever taste you like best. You can also dip them in chocolate for a fancier presentation. They are good for dessert or tea time, and are always a hit at parties.

Recipe from, "Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen", by Georgeanne Brennan

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup unsulfured light molasses
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl, combine the sugar, oats, flour, and baking powder. Add the melted butter, milk, molasses, orange zest (if using), and vanilla and stir until just blended. Let the batter stand for 15 minutes.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, forming rounds about 1 inch in diameter and spacing them 3 inches apart. Bake the cookies until brown on the edges, about 10 minutes. Lift the parchment paper with the cookies and transfer to a work suface. Let cool completely.

If dipping in chocolate:

8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons vegetable shortening

Combine the chocolate and shortening in the top pan of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl. Set over simmering water and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat.

Gently peel the cookies from the paper. Line the baking sheets again with parchment paper. Dip about half of each cooled cookie in the Chocolate Coating. Place on the prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate until the chocolate sets, about 20 minutes. Gently remove the cookies from the paper.