Bakery Style Florentine Lace Cookies

Do you remember going to the bakery and seeing those pretty Florentine lace cookies staring at you though the glass showcase with all the other pretty cookies? One of my favorites was always the lace ones. They had dark, milk or white chocolate in the middle. Once in a while they came with jam in the middle. My mom always liked to buy lace cookies because she told me they made a nice presentation and were lovely served on a pretty cake plate . When I was a caterer, I made these quite often for dinner parties and luncheons. Of course back then I used lots of butter and sugar. I recently have been working on a healthier version and came up with a cookie that still has the buttery and rich taste without the high fat and calories. I hope you enjoy them and by the way, the recipe is really easy to follow.

Nutrition: calories 68.9, fat 3.1 g, carbs 5.6 g, fiber 0.3 g, sugars 8.4 g, sodium 35.8 mg, protein 0.8 g,

Ingredients:

• • 2 tbsp packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp honey, use a good quality for the best taste
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp quick or instant oats
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, sifted
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda, make sure it’s fresh
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch salt
  • Powdered sugar, optional

• 10 tablespoon milk or semi sweet chocolate morsels
• 1/2 tsp canola oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees; have a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a heavy duty small to medium saucepan, place the sugars along with the butter and on a medium heat; mix with a wire whisk or rubber spatula until all is smooth and melted. Then add the honey and stir again.
3. Now add the flour and the baking soda along with the pinch of salt and mix again.
4. Take off the heat and add the vanilla extract and mix again.
5. Using a 1/2 tsp measuring spoon, place the batter on the cookie sheet. (They spread out, so space them)
6. You should have enough batter for about 36 cookies. Bake each cookie sheet one at a time for best results. Bake for about 7 minutes and turn the pan around after about 3 minutes.
7. The cookies should look golden brown but not burnt.
8. Take out of the oven and place on cooling rack. The cookies will start to crisp up after they cool completely.
9. When all the cookies are cooled. Take the chips and oil, melt the microwave in a microwave safe bowl. Start with 30 seconds, take out, stir and place back in for another 20 seconds until the chocolate is nice and smooth.
10. With a butter knife or small metal spatula, spread the chocolate on a cookie and find a matching size and shape to make a sandwich. Press very gently and keep doing this until all the cookies are done. You should have enough chocolate for all 18 sandwiches.
11. Sit down, make a cup of tea and enjoy these wonderful treats!