These cookies may not look like much but let me tell you…
They were a pain in the ass labor of love.
Perspective. It makes all the difference. These cookies, for instance, could be seen as simple, passable, unimportant nothings compared to the more festooned Christmas cookies.
Or! They can be seen as complex, distinctive, and intriguing.
Perspective.
Lacey cookies aren’t anything new. I adapted this particular recipe from the Fall Baking edition of Bake From Scratch, so they're more reimagined than anything. I used pecans instead of macadamia nuts and added molasses and cinnamon to bring in that warm, winter spice vibe. I made them and remade them and adjusted measurements and had issues with garage oven. The Lord and these cookies tested me.
I could have crumbled into pieces like these delightfully crunchy cookies. Instead, I persisted. And now I have cookies to show for it. And now you can have cookies to show for it!
Pecan Lacey cookies are delicate, crunchy, and not-too-sweet. With the addition of molasses, cinnamon, and allspice they become a warm and wintery treat that would be perfect on any cookie tray. Or dunked in a strong cup of coffee! Add a drizzle of melted white chocolate if you’re wanting to add a touch more sweetness to these crispy, crunchy cookies.
Pecan Lacey Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 – 7 minutes
- Total Time: 15 – 17 minutes
- Yields: 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
- 75 grams ground pecans
- 63 grams all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. cinnamon
- Pinch of allspice
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 67 grams brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking trays with parchment paper and set aside. Whisk together the pecans, flour, salt, and spices in a small bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan, whisk together the butter brown sugar, corn syrup, and molasses until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until boiling. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour mixture into dry ingredients and stir to combine. All dough to cool for 10 minutes before handling. Portion out 2 tsp. of dough and roll into balls. Place 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheets and bake in preheated oven for 5-7 minutes, or until edges are deeply golden and surface of cookie is bubbling. Remove from oven and allow to cool on pan for 5 minutes before remove to rack to cool completely.
*If you can’t find finely ground pecans, pulse regular, shelled pecans in a food processor. That’s what I did!
*To portion out dough I use my smallest cookie scoop and then divide that in half and it creates the perfect size every time!
*Recipe adapted from the Macadamia Nut & White Chocolate Cookies from the 2019 Fall Baking Guide from Bake From Scratch.
· by Amanda Gajdosik