Traditional lace cookies call for butter or margarine, but after many trial batches omitting it, these crispy, nutty, delicate cookies are the result. They look just like the bakery version but taste even better! My next idea was to sub Rice Krispies, crushed cornflakes, or oatmeal for the nuts for an allergy-friendly version. If any of you are brave enough to experiment, please let me know your findings.

 

Yield: 3½ dozen cookie sandwiches

Ingredients:

Cookies:

½ cup chocolate chips

½ cup oil

½ cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

⅓ cup honey

1 egg

¼ cup flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup chopped hazelnuts

½ cup ground hazelnuts

Crunchy hazelnut cream, for filling (I use Baker’s Choice)

 

Topping:

1 10.5-oz. bar baking chocolate

1½ tablespoons oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place chocolate chips and oil in an oven-safe bowl or pan.

Place in oven to melt as it preheats, about 5 minutes.

Stir in sugars, honey, egg, flour, baking soda, and hazelnuts.

Drop teaspoonfuls of dough on prepared baking sheets, leaving plenty of room to allow for spreading, 6–8 cookies per sheet.

Bake for 6–7 minutes, until edges of cookies are crisp and centers are completely flat with some holes. (More holes will continue to appear as cookies set.)

Let cool completely.

If hazelnut cream has separated, mix it to a smooth, spreadable consistency.

Create sandwiches by spreading chocolate hazelnut cream on flat side of one cookie and topping it with another.

Repeat with remaining cookies.

Microwave baking chocolate and oil for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each interval, until smooth.

Dip cookie sandwiches in melted chocolate to coat halfway. Alternatively, drizzle with chocolate instead of dipping.

Place on parchment paper to set.