Peek-A-Bows

Peek-A-Bows are thin, crispy lace cookies that get rolled into delicate cylinders while still warm from the oven, then tied with colorful ribbons for gifting. They look like they came from a fancy bakery, but the batter is just five ingredients: flour, finely chopped nuts, corn syrup, shortening, and brown sugar.

The batter comes together on the stovetop. Corn syrup, shortening, and packed brown sugar boil together until the sugar dissolves, then the flour and nut mixture gets stirred in. The result is a loose, sticky batter that spreads dramatically during baking. That spread is intentional. It creates those thin, lacy edges with a caramelized, almost toffee-like crunch.

Only bake 8 or 9 at a time because they need room to spread. After 5-6 minutes in the oven, let them rest on the sheet for a full 5 minutes. This is the window for rolling. Too hot and they tear, too cool and they crack. When they’re just pliable enough to lift with a spatula, wrap each one around the handle of a wooden spoon to form a tube shape.

Kitchen Tips

• Work fast during rolling. Once these cool they become brittle and snap instead of bending. If they harden, pop the sheet back in the oven for 30 seconds.
• Finely chop the nuts. Large pieces prevent clean rolling and poke through the thin cookie walls.
• Grease the baking sheet lightly. Too much grease and the cookies slide around; too little and they stick permanently.
• Store in an airtight container between layers of parchment. Humidity is the enemy of lace cookies and makes them chewy instead of crisp.

Variations

• Chocolate dipped: Dip one end of the cooled cylinders in melted chocolate for an elegant party cookie.
• Filled tubes: Pipe sweetened whipped cream or chocolate mousse into the hollow centers right before serving.