Versatility Plus! 1 Cookie 3 Ways (Recipe: Lemony Oat ‘n’ Almond Lace Cookies)

Have you ever put off experimenting with a new recipe because (1) you weren’t familiar with it, or (2) the recipe intimidated you? I have, and 9 out of 10 times that decision turned out to be a grievous misjudgment. Case in point: delicious Lemony Oat ‘n’ Almond Lace Cookies.

Crisp, versatile, light and satisfying with a hint of almond, oat and lemony goodness, these cookies are among the best I’ve ever made or tasted—although I nearly neglected to try them. Why neglected? Because lace cookies intimidated me. Silly, isn’t it?

Perhaps it was their delicate, pebbly appearance, or my fear of burning making cookies so fine and thin they would disintegrate upon first touch. Conquering my fear, I’m happy to report these cookies do not crumble upon first touch. In fact they hold up rather well, albeit they are a bit crumbly when biting into (hint—eat them over a plate or napkin). And as thin and lacy as these cookies appear, they are surprisingly moist and substantial considering they are also somewhat delicate and brittle.

A paradox amongst standard cookies, these Lemony Oat ‘n’ Almond Lace Cookies are refreshing, pleasantly crisp and subtle in flavor. To quote my head cookie-taster and husband, “Probably the best cookie you’ve ever made.” Surprisingly, I agreed.

But proclaiming a cookie, “The best I’ve ever tasted,” isn’t enough. Each baker and cookie taster has their own unique tastes and preferences. What makes this cookie truly outstanding is how it pulls double…even triple duty. Behold versatility plus!

Capable of being served fresh from the oven or rolled into curvy, appealing and adaptable horns, Lemony Oat ‘n’ Almond Lace Cookies are attention grabbers that can paired or filled with any luscious cream of your choice. My choice? Easy Lemon Mousse. The results? Divine!

Before introducing you to list of ingredients, I’m providing a few, helpful tips to ensure your lace cookie success:

• When baking, be sure to leave 2″ between mounds of dough—bake no more than 12 cookies per sheet.
• Bake cookies in the center to upper third of your oven.
• 2 minutes before baking time elapses, turn on your oven light and check for doneness. Lemony Oat ‘n Almond Lace Cookies are done as soon as they begin to brown around the edges. The centers will not look as golden as the edges and that’s ok—the centers will continue to bake/set after being removed from the oven.
• After removing the cookies (i.e. cookie sheet) from the oven, allow the cookies to rest for 1-2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.
• If opting to roll these cookies into horns, there lies a delicate window of opportunity that you will have to learn by feel, as well as by trial and error. Roll too quickly upon removing from the oven and the cookies will fall apart from being too soft. Roll too late and the cookies will become too brittle and set to bend. Somewhere in the middle, approximately 2 minutes after removing from the oven, these cookies will be soft enough to remain pliable, but set enough to hold their rolled “horn” shape. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
• Allow rolled horns to cool completely before filling with cream or mousse.
• Cover and store leftover (unfilled) cookies airtight and use within 2 days.
• Leftover cream-filled horns should be covered, refrigerated and eaten as soon as possible—before turning soggy.
• As a general rule of thumb, lace cookies should not be made or served on humid days, as high humidity can excessively soften these cookies.

Part of what makes lace cookies so fabulous is their exquisite texture…

…reminiscent of pebbled, stained glass, these cookies are beautiful to look at—even tastier to eat!

Lemony Oat ‘n’ Almond Lace Cookies

(from Inn Cuisine, recipe adapted from The Big Book of Diabetic Desserts)

Yield: approximately 2 dozen cookies

• 1 & 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) Smart Balance Unsalted 50/50 Butter Blend (may substitute butter), melted and cooled
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour (no typo, really, only 1 teaspoon flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• zest of 1 large lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F for baking. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine quick-cooking oats and butter blend in a large bowl; stir until thoroughly moistened. Add sugar, flour, baking powder and salt; mix well. Add egg, vanilla, almonds and lemon zest; stir mixture until thoroughly combined.

Drop by even spoonfuls (approximately 2 level teaspoonfuls per mound) onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2″ apart (no more than 12 mounds per sheet). These cookies spread quite a bit during baking, so make sure your sizing and spacing is accurate. Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges of cookies are gently browned. Remove baking sheets from oven; allow cookies to cool for 1-2 minutes before removing to a wire rack. If rolling cookies into horns, approximately 2 minutes after removing cookies from oven and working quickly (one cookie at a time), carefully wrap cookie around the end of a wooden spoon or turkey baster to form a cone shape, tapered towards one end. Gently squeeze to set, and place horn on a plate to cool. Note – Cookies will cool too quickly to turn all 12 per sheet into horns. The most I’ve been able to shape in one batch is 4-6. If making horns, plan to wrap from multiple batches and sheets.

If interested in serving or filling Lemony Oat ‘n’ Almond Lace Cookies with cream, I highly suggest the following recipe for Easy Lemon Mousse—it makes a superb accompaniment.

Easy Lemon Mousse

(from Inn Cuisine, recipe adapted from Rachel Ray & Food Network.com)

• 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant lemon pudding mix
• 2 cups milk
• 1 half-pint container heavy whipping cream
• 1 rounded tablespoon granulated sugar

In a medium to large bowl, mix instant pudding mix and milk; stir thoroughly and set aside. In another medium-sized bowl, beat heavy whipping cream and sugar on medium to high speed (with an electric mixer) until stiff peaks form. Working in thirds, gently fold whipped cream into pudding mixture until thoroughly combined. If necessary, whip combined mixture again until thickened.

To pipe mousse into Lemony Oat ‘n’ Almond Lace Cookie horns, simply spoon Easy Lemon Mousse into a zippered bag, seal securely and snip the tip off one corner. Place snipped tip into cookie horn and gently pipe mousse into cookie until filled. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until serving. Serve remaining mousse plain, with fresh berries, or with cookies as a dip.

Enjoy!

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Tagged as: cookie recipes, easy lemon mousse filling, easy lemon mousse recipe, lace cookie recipes, lace cookies, lemon cookies, lemon lace cookie recipe, lemony oat and almond lace cookie recipe, oatmeal cookies