Every cookie has its own character. Whether through texture, flavour or even method of preparation, they each have their own identity. These lace cookies are no exception. With just five ingredients, these beauties take a matter of minutes to bake. Once baked, they must be completely cooled on a wire rack or else the centre may become soggy.
I’ve used almonds here as I wanted a variety of nuts throughout my 12 days of Christmas cookies series. But you could use hazelnuts or blanched pistachios instead. The trick here is to finely chop the nuts – no powder, but coarse enough to still have a bit of bite.
The almond extract here is a game changer, giving these feather-light cookies a punch of flavour.
As for storage, these cookies aren’t reliable. They last well in the freezer, but they need to be reheated in the oven for the perfect snappy texture. But I wouldn’t worry about this too much as they won’t last more than a couple of days – they’re that good!
Makes: 20
Ingredients:
- 85g almonds
- 65g butter
- 100g caster sugar
- 10g plain flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 drop almond extract
- 20ml milk
Method:
- Preheat oven to 170°C and line a baking tray with baking paper and oil. Pulse the almonds in a food processor until coarse.
- In a saucepan on medium heat, melt the butter. Add the sugar, flour, salt and almond extract and stir briefly until the sugar has been completely incorporated.
- Add the chopped almonds and milk and stir until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a minute or so.
- Using a teaspoon as a measure, drop the cookies onto the baking tray. Bake for 6–8 minutes and leave to cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool some more.
- Store in an airtight container. If they get soft or sticky, pop them into a warm oven for a minute or two and cool down again. They will return to their crisp texture.
Notes:
- Do not overpulse the almonds as you do not want almond flour – you want ground almonds.
- Do not overcook the mixture as it will get too thick. If it does become too thick, use a little milk to thin it out.
- The almond extract must be only a drop or else it will overpower the entire flavour of the cookie.
- These spread like crazy, so do not bake more than 4–5 cookies at one time. They must be baked in batches for best results.
For Day 10’s mocha discs recipe, click here
