Oatmeal Lace Cookies with Chocolate (Havreflarn med Choklad)
These Swedish oatmeal cookies are thin, crispy, and closer in texture to florentines than the thick-and-chewy oatmeal cookies popular in the United States. The butter, sugar, and bits of oat caramelize in the oven, forming a lacy texture. Be sure to use quick oats (oats that have been broken up). While these cookies can be enjoyed as is, sandwiching a layer of melted dark chocolate between two of them makes them irresistible. They also work well for ice cream sandwiches. These cookies stay fresh and hold their crispness for a while, so they’re great to send in the mail.
Makes 30 cookies, or 15 chocolate sandwich cookies.
- 1½ cups (167 g) quick oats
- ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose or gluten- free flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ounces (85 g) 63% (or higher) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- Line two 13 by 18-inch (33 by 46 cm) baking trays with parchment paper.
- Arrange two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Immediately pour the melted butter into the flour mixture and stir to combine. Add the egg and vanilla and stir until it forms a dough. - Drop the dough by the teaspoonful (or using a small cookie scoop) onto the prepared baking trays, spaced about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart.
- Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, rotating the baking trays halfway through from top to bottom and front to back, until golden brown. Let them cool on the baking trays for 5 minutes, until they have firmed enough to transfer to a rack to then cool completely.
- While the cookies are cooling, place the chocolate in a medium heat-resistant bowl. Fill a saucepan with 1 inch of water and bring to a low simmer. Place the bowl over (but not touching) the simmering water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until almost entirely melted.
- Remove bowl from saucepan and stir to melt any remaining bits. (Alternatively, you can melt your chocolate in the microwave at 50% power.)
- To assemble the sandwich cookies, take one cookie and hold it flat side up. Using a small offset spatula, spread a ½ teaspoon or so of melted chocolate across the surface of the cookie in a thin layer and then top it immediately with a second cookie (flat side down) to form a sandwich.
- Place it back on the rack and repeat with the remaining cookies and chocolate. Store the cookies in an airtight container, where they will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
About the Cookbook
Scandinavian from Scratch: A Love Letter to the Baking of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden
Transport the taste of Scandinavia to your home kitchen with the delightful sweet and savory bites compiled in this forthcoming baking book!
From chef Nichole Accettola, Scandinavian from Scratch brings to the page an assortment of baked goods and simple morning and midday meals rooted in Scandinavian cuisine. After moving back to the United States following more than a decade abroad, Accettola found herself longing for the wholesome breads, buttery pastries, decadent cakes, and cookies that she enjoyed on a daily basis while living in Copenhagen. She set out on a mission to bring the tastes and treats of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark to San Francisco and opened her now beloved bakery café, Kantine.
In Scandinavian from Scratch, Accettola has curated 75 delicious bakes, organized by occasion and arranged from simplest to most complex, drawing from her collection of each Scandinavian country’s baking traditions. Fill your home kitchen with the enticing aromas of Coconut Dream Cake, Black Currant Caves, Cardamom Morning Buns, Saffron Rusks, Gravlax, Chive Potato Salad Smørrebrød, and so much more. The easy-to-follow recipes will expand your baking horizons and bring something special to the table, from breakfast and brunch to afternoon tea to holiday celebrations.
