Brown Butter Irish Lace Cookies
These dreamy Brown Butter Irish Lace Cookies are crispy, delicate, and light as air! With a rich, buttery toffee flavor, they’re simple enough to enjoy with a cup of tea, yet special enough for holidays or guests.
Their unique texture and preparation cause them to spread thin during baking, becoming so transparent that you can see through them. The result is a lace-like pattern, with crisp edges and charming nooks and crannies.
Recipe Story
I found the original vintage family recipe for Irish Lace Cookies in a box of recipes that belonged to my Aunt Liz, who was considered the culinary gold standard in my family. She got the recipe from her cousin and neighbor, Lucy. Most of the family recipes I've posted on Family Tree Foodie are recipes that I remember from childhood. But Irish Lace Cookies were completely new to me, which made them feel like a lost treasure.
I kept the core of this recipe intact but browned the butter and added a little salt to deepen the flavors.
Ingredients
- UNSALTED BUTTER
- ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
- GRANULATED SUGAR
- DRY OATMEAL (Quick Oats or Regular Oats)
- LIGHT CORN SYRUP
- BAKING POWDER
- VANILLA EXTRACT OR PASTE
- KOSHER SALT
- HEAVY CREAM
How to Make Brown Butter Irish Lace Cookies
- Preheat oven to 375°. Use quick oats or pulse regular dry oats in a food processor for 8-10 seconds just to break it down a little finer. This creates a delicate texture.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, oatmeal and salt.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter on low heat. Watching it closely and stirring, let it cook until it starts to turn a light brown and small brown flecks are visible. Turn off the heat.
3. In a small saucepan, melt butter on low heat. Watching it closely and stirring, let it cook until it starts to turn a light brown and small brown flecks are visible. Turn off the heat.
4. Add sugar, corn syrup and cream to the butter mixture. Turn the heat back on simmer. Stirring constantly, let it cook until it starts to boil.
5. Add warm butter mixture to dry ingredients and stir to combine. The dough should come together quickly.
6. Add vanilla and stir to combine, using a spatula to scrape the bowl and ensure ingredients are mixed.
Prepping Cookies for Baking
I use a mini cookie scooper (1 teaspoon) to make these. I level the top so that it's flat to ensure consistently sized cookies. You need to plan for about 2-3 inches of space in between the cookies - they spread that much! You can use a parchment lined baking tray or a silicone mat, but you don't need cooking spray. There is enough butter content in the cookies to prevent them from sticking.
I find that rolling them into a ball with clean hands creates a more consistently round shape. But if you like a more rustic look, you can just scoop them out.
These cookies bake fast and spread a lot! They bake at about 4-6 minutes and are done when they are bubbly and golden brown. Take them out of the oven to cool.
If you want the cookies to lay flat, you can let them cool about a minute or two and use a small spatula to peel them off the tray.
If you want to curl them...think of Pringles chips - you can carefully pull them off the tray after about 30 seconds. Drape them over a rolling pin and they will start to cool and form almost instantly. This fun alternative shape can be used with a sweet dessert dip, like whipped or Chantilly cream on a dessert charcuterie tray.
I hope you enjoy these Brown Butter Irish Lace Cookies! And if you try them out, thanks for leaving a comment.
Brown Butter Irish Lace Cookies
- Yield: 4 dozen
Description
Delicate, crispy and light as air, these caramel, buttery bites are a delicious treat with a cup of tea. They are easy and quick to make but feel special enough for the holidays.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour – 1/2 cup or 63 grams
- Granulated Sugar – 1/2 cup or 100 grams
- Uncooked Oatmeal, Quick Oats or Regular (Not Steel Cut) – 1/2 cup or 40 grams
- Unsalted Butter – 5 Tablespoons or 1/3 cup
- Baking Powder – 1/4 teaspoon
- Kosher Salt – 1/4 teaspoons
- Heavy Cream – 2 Tablespoons
- Light Corn Syrup – 2 Tablespoons or 44 grams
- Vanilla Extract or Paste– 1 Tablespoon or 13 grams
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Prep baking tray with ungreased parchment or a silpat mat.
- If using regular oatmeal versus quick oats, put it in the food processor for about 8-10 seconds to break it down a little finer. Be careful to not to process it into a powder.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, oatmeal and salt. Combine with a whisk.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter and watching closely, let it cook a little longer until it starts to turn a light brown with small brown flecks in it. Turn off the burner.
- Add sugar and corn syrup to the butter and whisk ingredients together. Turn the burner back on low. Stir constantly until mixture starts to boil. Remove from heat.
- Add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients and stir together with a spatula or wooden spoon. The dough should come together quickly.
- Add vanilla and stir to combine. Dough will be loose.
- Using a mini cookie scooper, scoop out dough and place on a baking tray, leaving at least 2 inches in between cookies. They will spread out quite a bit.
- Place in the over for 4-6 minutes. Cookies will be bubbly and light to golden brown when they are done.
- Place cookies aside to cool. If you would like to keep them completely flat, you can wait until they are completely cool before removing. If you would like to curl them (think Pringles shape), wait 30 seconds and then drape them carefully over a rolling pin until cool. They will set almost immediately.
Notes
They are delicious as is! You can also dust them with powdered sugar, drizzle them with melted white or dark chocolate. Or you can turn them into a sandwich cookie with Nutella. There’s no wrong way to enjoy them!
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
- Category: Baking
Matriarch Muse : Liz
Liz Murray was born in 1914 in Pennsylvania. She studied home economics at Marywood College and went on to serve as the head dietician of a State Hospital for 35 years. During that time, she directed her team to cook three meals per day for 1,600 people.
Liz never married and lived in bustling Irish Catholic homestead with her mother, aunts, and her younger sister Marguerite’s family, including her six nieces and nephews. When her sister tragically died at age 47, "Aunt Liz "served as a beloved mother figure to her nieces and nephews. She was kind and generous, elegant and funny. Her cooking is the stuff of legends in our family. From Thanksgiving feasts to sweet treats, to even making her niece’s massive, scrumptious cherry walnut wedding cake, Aunt Liz remains our family's culinary gold standard. It’s such an honor to celebrate and preserve her food legacy.
