Oatmeal Lace Cookies

The kids have been helping out all day, and Big A is in the basement building shelves (and de-cluttering... or cluttering, it's hard to tell). So I thought I'd do the good wifely thing and bake a batch of cookies for them. (Plus, I didn't have any breakfast.)

I thought about it and remembered the easiest best cookies I ever made are these awesome Oatmeal Lace Cookies. Because you melt the butter rather than wait for it to soften, these Oatmeal Lace Cookies take less than 5 minutes to throw together, and only about 9 more minutes to bake.

This recipe for Oatmeal Lace Cookies is one of those recipes, that even the baking challenged can manage ~ I admit, that would be me. The recipe requires very limited time, effort or patience. And, when they're done, they look beautiful - golden, with little spaces between the oats, like lace. Plus they're delicious - the sugar caramelizes making them sweet and buttery! They're great on their own, but are perfect with vanilla ice cream.

But wait! Wanna know more good news? You don't even have to wash the cookie sheets, because they are lined with parchment paper! 

 Oatmeal Lace Cookies

Makes 18 cookies (or less if you eat any of the batter, but who would do that?)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup quick oats
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Note: you could eliminate the flour to suit your diet if you wish.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. I let my butter brown a tiny bit (trust me).
3. Remove from heat and stir in oats, sugar, egg, and vanilla.
4. Add flour, salt, and baking powder.
5. Drop 3” apart by rounded teaspoonful on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. They spread quite a bit so make sure to give 'em some room to grow.  
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes or until golden.
7. Remove from oven and let cool completely on cookie sheet. Carefully remove from the parchment with a spatula to a wire rack.
8. Store in an airtight container (Yeah, right! You won't have any left to store).

If you want to make your cookies FANCY, you can choose to add one of the following:

• Add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract for an almond flavor.
• Stir in a handful of mini-chocolate chips to the finished batter.
• Stir in a handful of chopped nuts - especially pistachio!
• Add 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest or orange zest.
• Melt semi-sweet chocolate and spread thinly over the flat side of the baked and cooled cookies.

Try them and let me know what you think! As always, I would love to hear from you!