Lace Cookies | Recipe Critic

by

This website may contain affiliate links and advertising so that we can provide you with recipes. Read my posting policy.

It doesn’t get much better than crunchy, caramelized cookies with melted chocolate filling! These lace cookies are super easy to make and just what you need to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Cookies come in so many different shapes and sizes and I love them all! If you’re looking for some fun new cookie recipes to try, here are a few of my favorite cookies: Peg Cookies, Mexican Wedding Cookies, and Homemade Milanese Cookies!

8 cookies stacked on top of each other. The top biscuit is bitten.

Chocolate lace cookies

I absolutely adore old fashioned cookies and these lace cookies (also known as Florentines) have quickly become one of my favorites. There’s just something about the classic combination of butter, brown sugar and almond flour that I can’t get enough of. They are crunchy and caramel with a chocolate filling to die for! Yes, they are simple, but that’s what makes them so great!

Once in the oven, the edges turn a beautiful golden brown and the cookies spread to create these delicate lacy patterns. (Hence the name!) You’ll be waiting in anticipation for them to come out of the oven. This is really the hardest part of this whole process, so you should gather your ingredients and start making your batch right now!

Let’s break down the ingredients that come together to make these buttery lace cookies. They’re pretty simple, but they give these treats the most delicious flavor and texture! Note: exact measurements are on the recipe tab below.

  • Butter: A creamy ingredient that makes the dough rich and smooth. I used unsalted butter, but you can use salted as well – just remember to reduce the extra salt you add to the dough.
  • Brown sugar: This is what gives our dough that caramel sweetness and beautiful golden color. I used light brown sugar, but you can also use dark brown sugar if you want a deeper, molasses flavor.
  • Almond flour: Ground almonds give the mixture a nutty flavor and a touch of crumb.
  • All purpose flour: To give cookies a structure.
  • Salt: Just a little to balance the sweetness.
  • Valentine: Honey will give the dough a hint of stickiness and an extra dose of sweetness.
  • Vanilla extract: It brings a beautiful vanilla aroma and taste that we all adore. Use pure vanilla extract for the best taste!
  • Chocolate Chips: These melt into a creamy filling that transforms our lace cookies into the perfect sandwich treat. Well! I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use dark chocolate, white chocolate, or even caramel chips! Whatever you prefer.

How to make lace cookies

Okay, time to bake some magic with these lace cookies! Follow these simple steps and you’ll whip up a batch of soft, crunchy treats that your friends and family will love.

  1. Preheat the oven, preparing the pan: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Then set aside.
  2. Sugar mixture: Add the butter to a small saucepan and heat over low heat until melted. Add the brown sugar, almond flour, flour, salt and honey. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved.
  3. Add to the baking sheet: Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let the mixture rest for 5-6 minutes before scooping the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Use 1 teaspoon of batter and leave 3 inches between them as they will spread quite a bit. I used a small silicone spatula to help scoop the batter from the spoon. The longer the dough sits, the more it hardens. If you want to try to get uniform shaped cookies, you can roll the dough into balls while it cools before placing it on the baking sheet. However, it may be too hot to handle at first.
  4. Bake: Bake for 7-8 minutes until the edges are golden brown and bubbling.
  5. Cold: Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack or airtight container.
  6. Melted chocolate: When you’re ready to fill them, gently melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between until smooth.
  7. Add the filling: Add a small spoonful of melted chocolate to the center of the back of one lace cookie and press a similarly shaped cookie on top to make a sandwich. Repeat until all cookies are filled.
A 3-photo collage of cookie dough that is mixed and added to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Tips and variations

These are a few tips I like to keep in mind when making lace cookies so they turn out perfect. I’ve also included some substitutes so you can make them with things you already have on hand!

  • Allow the dough to cool: Allow the mixture to cool slightly before scooping onto the baking sheet. This will allow you to handle the dough better without burning yourself on the dissolved sugar.
  • Using Corn Syrup: Light corn syrup can be substituted for the honey, but the honey adds a subtle flavor that deepens the caramel flavor of the cookie, so I recommend keeping it if you can.
  • Oatmeal Cookies: For an oat version of this cookie, replace the oatmeal with almond flour. This gives the caramel a wonderful nuttiness and a little bit of chewiness.
  • Don’t use too much batter: Keep only a teaspoon of batter on each cookie. They will spread out quite a bit and be very thin. If you use too many or place them too close together, they will spread into each other.
  • Nutella Lace Cookies: Don’t want to melt the chocolate in the middle? Use Nutella! It’s easy and so delicious!
  • Add toppings: For a more classic Florentine, sprinkle the cookies with chopped nuts and an extra drizzle of chocolate or caramel sauce.

Top down view of lace cookies.

Storage of remaining cookies

Thanks to their crunchy texture, lace biscuits store really well. You can enjoy them all week long!

  • Room temperature: Store leftover lace cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
  • In the freezer: Lace cookies can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months! Store them in an airtight container and thaw for an hour or two at room temperature until you want to enjoy them again.

A lace cookie broken in half.

Desserts

Icebox Cookies

4 hours 27 minutes

Desserts

Line cookies

27 minutes

Desserts

Soft and tasty Alfajores cookies

1 hour 35 minutes

Desserts

Madeleines

8 hours 35 minutes

Pin it now to find it later

Pin it

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

  • Add the butter to a small saucepan and heat over low heat until melted. Add the brown sugar, almond flour, flour, salt and honey. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved.

  • Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla. Let the mixture rest for 5-6 minutes before scooping the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Use 1 teaspoon of batter and leave 3 inches between them as they will spread quite a bit. I used a small silicone spatula to help scoop the batter from the spoon. The longer the dough sits, the more it hardens. To try to get more evenly shaped cookies, you can roll the dough into balls while it cools before placing it on the baking sheet. However, it may be too hot to handle at first.

  • Bake for 7-8 minutes until the edges are golden brown and bubbling.

  • Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack or airtight container.

  • When you’re ready to fill them, gently melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between until smooth.

  • Add a small spoonful of melted chocolate to the center of the back of one lace cookie and press a similarly shaped cookie on top to make a sandwich. Repeat until all cookies are filled.

Calorie: 112kcalCarbohydrates: 12GProtein: 1GThick: 7GSaturated fat: 3GPolyunsaturated fats: 0.1GMonounsaturated fat: 1GTrans fats: 0.1GCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 27mgPotassium: 10mgFiber: 1GSugar: 10GVitamin A: 116IUVitamin C: 0.05mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 0.3mg

Nutritional information is calculated automatically, so should only be used as an approximation.

Leave a Comment