Lace Cookies/Lemon-Buttercream Filling
Submitted by law
Lace cookies with lemon buttercream filling, thin caramelized oat-and-molasses wafers sandwiched around a silky lemon curd buttercream. Delicate, bakery-style cookies worth the patience.
YIELD
1 batchPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
1 hrsLace cookies get their name from the delicate, almost see-through pattern of holes that forms as the batter spreads and caramelizes in the oven. This version leans into the classic French-style template of thin, brittle oat wafers sandwiched around a sharp lemon buttercream, producing a proper patisserie cookie without a full pastry chef’s skill set.
The filling is genuine French lemon buttercream: a cornstarch-thickened lemon curd whisked smooth, cooled, then blended tablespoon by tablespoon with soft butter until silky and pipeable. That gradual butter incorporation is what keeps the filling from breaking. Two days ahead is fine, the flavor actually improves in the fridge.
The cookies themselves rely on molasses, oats, sugar and melted butter spread thin on foil-lined sheets. The 15-minute rest before scooping lets the oats hydrate so the cookies spread evenly instead of clumping. Six to seven minutes at 350F (175C) is enough, any longer and the edges blacken before the centers set.
Sandwich the cookies just before serving. The filling softens the crisp wafers over time, and 30 minutes is the sweet spot between “too crunchy” and “fallen apart."
Pro Tips
- Use good-quality thin foil on the baking sheets, the cookies release cleanly once fully cooled
- Don’t flatten the cookies right out of the oven, they’re too fragile
- Let the lemon curd cool completely to room temperature before adding butter, hot curd melts the butter and breaks the buttercream
- Space the batter drops 3 inches apart minimum, these cookies spread dramatically
- Sandwich just before serving, assembled lace cookies soften within a few hours
Variations
Ingredients
Directions
Dissolve cornstarch in lemon juice.
Whisk egg yolks, sugar, 4 tablespoons butter and lemon peel in heavy saucepan.
Whisk in cornstarch.
Whisk over low heat until smooth and thick enough to mound in spoon, about 5 minutes; do NOT boil.
Cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally.
Add remaining 6 tablespoons butter 1 piece at a time, whisking until smooth.
Cover tightly and refrigerate until well chilled. This part can beprepared 2 days ahead.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350℉ (180℃).
Dab butter in 3 places on rimless baking sheets or use rimmed sheets turned over and dab the butter on the bottom side.
Line with foil, leaving 2-inch overhang on short ends.
Combine sugar, oats, flour and baking powder in large bowl.
Add melted butter, milk, molasses and vanilla and stir with fork until just blended.
Let stand 15 minutes. Drop batter onto prepared sheets by heaping teaspoonfuls, forming into 1-inch diameter rounds and spacing 3 inches apart.
Bake until cookies bubble and begin to brown around edges, 6 to 7 minutes.
Transfer foil with cookies to a work surface.
Flatten cookies gently with spatula if necessary.
Cool completely.
Cookies can be prepared 1 day ahead--store airtight.
Just before serving, spread 3 teaspoons of filling evenly on bottom side of cookie, top with another cookie, bottom side in.
Repeat procedure with remaining cookies and filling.
Comments
