swedish oatmeal cookies
These easy Swedish oatmeal lace cookies have crispy edges with chewy middle creating a delicious and satisfying cookie perfect for fika! This recipe requires only a few staple pantry ingredients and minimal effort, making it also a great after-school snack in a pinch!
What is Swedish fika?
Swedish fika has a few loose rules but the magic of the tradition lies in the spontaneity of taking a break from the world with a cup of coffee and a little treat. So what makes fika different from a coffee break? Fika usually takes place anytime between 10am to 3pm, and always includes something to eat that’s more than a fruit but smaller than an actual meal - usually baked goods like cookies or a slice of cake. If there is nothing but coffee it’s not considered fika. In many companies in Sweden fika is mandatory for workers and considered as part of work day same as responding to emails!
What is the history of oatmeal cookies?
Oatmeal cookies have been around since the Victorian times and were based on Scottish oatcakes where oatmeal would be turned into baked goods. The first published oatmeal cookie recipe was written by Fannie Merritt Farmer in 1896 for oatmeal raisin cookies. The cookies became popular quickly because they were considered a healthier version of regular cookies, which led to Quaker Oats to start including recipes for oatmeal raisin cookies in their labels since 1900s. Now let’s get back to the Swedish oatmeal lace cookies you came here for!
How to make Swedish oatmeal lace cookies?
To begin, preheat oven to 400f. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl mix together 3/4 cup sugar, 1 1/2 cups oats, 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/8 tsp salt. Stir in the melted butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and egg. Mix until uniform. Place 2 tbsp scoops of cookie dough on the lined baking sheets. Leave plenty of room around each cookie to spread. Bake for 7-10 minutes until golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before moving them.
Tips
If you want more crunch spread the batter a bit in a circular motion from the middle before baking to make the cookie spread more evenly.
Start checking the color of the cookies after 7 minutes.
Let the cookies cool completely before moving them from the baking sheet. They will harden as they cool.
These cookies spread a lot so make sure to leave plenty of room around each cookie!