The Astronomer and I celebrated our thirteenth wedding anniversary last weekend. In line with tradition, I prepared something delicious inspired by antiquated anniversary gifts. Thus far in our marriage, The Astronomer has been gifted edible interpretations of Paper, Cotton, Leather, Fruit, Wood, Sugar, Wool, Bronze, Tin, Steel, and Silk.

Since it is customary to bestow lace upon one’s beloved in recognition of the thirteenth anniversary, I baked oatmeal lace cookies using this recipe from Simply Recipes. While I have made plenty of cookies over the years, I’d never attempted one that was so delicate, nearly flourless, and almost candy-like. It took three attempts to nail the cookie’s characteristic caramelized edges and lace-like interior, but truth be told, the two batches that were removed a touch too early from the oven still tasted delicious, albeit less crunchy.

• 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter
• 1 cup (220g) packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups (170g) thick-cut rolled oats 

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.

Place the butter and brown sugar in medium saucepan over medium heat. Warm, stirring frequently, until the butter and brown sugar melt into a thick brown paste. It’s fine if you see some streaks or puddles of separated butter; the butter and sugar don’t need to fully combine.

Remove the pan from heat and stir in the flour, vanilla, and salt. The batter will be very thin. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool.

Once the liquid has cooled (it’s okay if it is still warm, just not piping hot), add the egg and mix with a fork until incorporated. Add the oats and stir until well distributed.

Spoon 1/2 tablespoon of the batter onto the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches or more of space between each one. Use the back of a spoon to spread each cookie into a very thin circle.

Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies start to turn dark golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on the parchment paper or Silpat. The cookies should peel easily from the parchment, but use an offset spatula if any are sticking.

Makes approximately 24 cookies.

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In case you missed it…

• Year One: Paper
• Year Two: Cotton
• Year Three: Leather
• Year Four: Fruit
• Year Five: Wood
• Year Six: Candy
• Year Seven: Wool
• Year Eight: Bronze
• Year Nine: Pottery
• Year Ten: Tin
• Year Eleven: Steel
• Year Twelve: Silk