Lace Cookies

Christmas Eve was a really busy day. I love this part of the holidays...the doorbell was ringing all morning, Christmas music was playing in the background, and I was able to visit with friends that I only get to see once or twice a year. As Diana Krall sang Christmas Time is Here, I reflected on 2010 and savored moments like these, spent with friends and family.

After finishing all of my holiday baking, I was craving a cookie to have with the chocolate sorbet I was testing out for New Year's Eve. I have been trying to find a cookie, other than a shortbread, to scoop my ice cream out with. It needed to be thin, crunchy and packed with flavor. These lace cookies fit the bill.

Lace cookies only have a few simple ingredients but they taste and look like it took hours to make. As you are preparing them for baking, you'll think perhaps they will not turn out properly because they start out as just a blob on the cookie sheet. They don't have any form, like your typical cookie dough. But when they are done, the finished product is nothing short of perfection.

This is not something you should try if you are in a hurry. They are very delicate but can be shaped any way you like, if you move quickly and carefully enough. They will harden quickly so you can only bake 3-5 at a time. You can place them over a rolling pin and they'll look like a Pringles potato chip. You can roll them around a wooden spoon and have a cylinder. Or you can shape them around a metal cone to have a mini cookie cone. But no matter how they are shaped, they taste like pure heaven.

They'll put you in the mind of a waffle cone or perhaps a fortune cookie. Other than me burning the crap out of my fingers each time I shaped them, I would say these might rank as one of my Top 5 cookies. 

Orange Lace Cookies

1 stick butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp orange zest

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and set aside. Whisk flour and sugar in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the orange juice and zest. Combine the juice mixture with the dry ingredients. Incorporate the butter and blend until fully combined. Refrigerate overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour batter into a pastry bag and pipe cookies onto Silpat at least 3 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Be careful not to over bake.

Allow cookies to cool for approximately 60 seconds before attempting to move them. Using a spatula, carefully remove the cookies from the Silpat and shape them by molding them around a rolling pin or similar object. Once cooled, store them in airtight container for up to 3 days.

Almond Lace Cookies (Recipe from Martha Stewart Living)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
3/4 cup almonds, ground
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, cream, and liqueur. When butter has melted, stir in remaining ingredients with a wooden spoon. Cook until bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With a spoon, place cookies onto Silpat at least 3 inches apart. Bake for 6-7 minutes or until golden brown. Be careful not to over bake.

Allow cookies to cool for approximately 90 seconds before attempting to move them. Using a spatula, carefully remove the cookies from the Silpat and shape them by molding them around a rolling pin or similar object. Once cooled, store them in airtight container for up to 3 days.


All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Virtually Everything Sweet, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.