Oatmeal Lace Cookies

I have always loved these cookies. A friend of the family used to own a food company in the Seattle area called “Canterbury Cuisine” – they sold healthy, gourmet baking mixes, soup mixes, etc. that required just a couple ingredients added in order to make all kinds of treats. I had the great fortune of babysitting for the owner, and would always salivate over the various mixes in her pantry.

One time, under the guise of a “baking lesson” I set about baking a cookie mix with my charges – it was an Oatmeal Lace Cookie mix. And to this day, I still dream about its deliciousness. I have not found a comparable recipe that can measure up to the crunchy and chewy texture of that mix, but I am beginning the journey now. I don’t care how fat it makes me, or my husband (who is actually starting to complain about what this blog has done to his waistline – this last batch of cookies particularly, as oatmeal cookies are his favorite. Though I ate WAY more than he did, and suffered for it in many ways) I will find the perfect recipe!

I started with the simplest recipe I could find – and simple as it is, it yielded a tricky result. The first batch just spread all over the cookie sheet, like one flat pan-sized cookie. I had to use a spatula to separate it into sections while it was still hot, then bake for a few minutes longer in order to get anything resembling a cookie. The second and third batches were progressively better, as I started with smaller scoops of dough, and fewer dropped on the sheet. Also, the original recipe said to bake for 8-10 minutes, but I found these needed at least 12 minutes in order to be firm enough to remove from the cookie sheet.

I think these would be even better with a little cinnamon added!

Warning: there is a LOT of butter in this recipe. A LOT. So these are very rich, as dainty as they look.



Oatmeal Lace Cookies (Trial #1)

2 sticks of butter, room temperature
3 c. oatmeal (uncooked)
1 c. sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. salt

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla and salt together in the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment. Once mixed, fold in the oatmeal, one cup at a time, ensuring each cup is sufficiently combined.

Drop in 1/8 c. sized balls onto a baking sheet (I used a silpat) with several inches between each scoop, as these cookies will flatten out completely as they bake.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool a bit on the cookie sheet (they harden as they cool) before transferring to a cooling rack.