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New York is freezing this week, and according to my weather app, the entire northern hemisphere is one chilly blue blob. If there were ever a time for a baking project, it\u2019s now. And we have just the thing\u2026<\/p>\n
Melina Hammer\u2019s<\/a> oat lace cookies.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve always loved oatmeal lace cookies but assumed they were too tricky to make myself. Anything that delicate and caramel-y had to be complicated, right? Wrong.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re super easy!\u201d swears Melina Hammer, cookbook author and writer of the newsletter Stories from Catbird Cottage<\/a>. \u201cWhatever your schedule, there\u2019s room in it to make this cookie.\u201d I can personally confirm the recipe\u2019s doability, having made a batch this past Monday \u2014 aka, 72 hours into a long weekend, along with my six-year-old who\u2019d been cooped up with two boring, working parents all day. A more involved recipe could\u2019ve ended in tears and flour all over my keyboard, but these were so<\/em> quick and delicious that I almost made a second batch right then and there.<\/p>\n Melina\u2019s recipe calls for a few grinds of cracked pepper \u2014 to add a little complexity and zing to the straightforward sweetness \u2014 but she notes that there are many ways to riff. \u201cYou could use your favorite chili powder, or you could try a teaspoon of finely grated orange zest, minced candied ginger, or toasted sesame seeds.\u201d I\u2019m looking forward to playing around with these additions, but for now, I\u2019m enamored with the original recipe. Here it is:<\/p>\n Oat Lace Cookies<\/strong> 3 tbsp salted butter Preheat the oven to 350F. Add the butter, oats, and almonds to a small saucepan set over medium-low heat. Melt the butter, agitating the pan to incorporate it into the mixture. Add the freshly ground pepper and stir all together.<\/p>\n As the butter melts, whisk the egg and sugar in a medium bowl until pale. Add the honey and vanilla, and whisk to incorporate. Add the butter-oat mixture to the beaten sugar and egg, then the kosher salt, baking powder, and flour. Stir together until uniform.<\/p>\n Place teaspoon-sized portions onto parchment-lined sheet pans, keeping 2 inches between each mound to account for spreading as they bake. You can get up to 12 cookies on a sheet at one time. Bake for 8 minutes or until pale golden at the center and caramelized golden around the edge.<\/p>\n Pro tip from Melina: \u201cAs the batter spreads while baking, cookie shapes can go a little wonky. I like to pull them out around the 6-minute mark \u2014 when they\u2019ve spread, but not fully caramelized \u2014\u00a0and nudge them back into round shapes, using a silicone spatula (be mindful not to touch the hot pan). Return them to the oven to bake for the last couple minutes to get them caramelized, and voil\u00e0, you have gorgeous cookies!\u201d<\/p>\n Allow them to cool on the sheet pan for 5-7 minutes, until they free easily with a spatula. Store cookies in a parchment-lined sealed container on the counter, up to 5 days.<\/p>\n Melina Hammer<\/a> is a chef, food stylist, recipe developer, and the award-winning author of A Year at Catbird Cottage<\/a>. Her recipes have appeared on Bon App\u00e9tit, Food52, Cooking Light, and Edible. You can follow her newsletter, Stories from Catbird Cottage<\/a>, if you\u2019d like.<\/em><\/p>\n Thank you so much, Melina<\/a>! Anyone else in a baking mood this week? What are we making?<\/strong><\/p>\n P.S. Three-ingredient butter cookies<\/a>, monster cookies<\/a>, and morning cookies for the backpack<\/a>. Plus, Toby\u2019s cookies that blew us all away<\/a>.<\/p>\n (Photos courtesy of Melina Hammer<\/a>.)<\/p>\n
by Melina Hammer<\/a><\/em>
Makes 24<\/p>\n
1\/2 cup rolled oats
2 tbsp plus 1 1\/2 tsp slivered almonds
1\/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 small egg
1\/4 cup cane sugar
1\/2 tsp honey
1\/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch kosher salt
1\/2 tsp baking powder
1\/2 tbsp all-purpose flour<\/p>\n![\"Oat](\"https:\/\/cupofjo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/OatLaceCookies_02.jpg\")
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