1 Video | Photo: Florentines (Italy) Recipe
These Tuscan cookies are a Christmas classic. They're nutty, lacy and crisp, as well as deceptively simple to make. Drizzling them with chocolate turns them into the perfect holiday indulgence.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups sliced, blanched almonds (about 5 ounces)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Topping, optional:
- 2 to 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
Directions
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Pulse the almonds in a food processor until finely chopped, but not pasty. Stir together the nuts, flour, zest and salt in a large bowl.
Put the sugar, cream, corn syrup and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a rolling boil and sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, then pour mixture into almond mixture and stir just to combine. Set aside until cool enough to handle, 30 minutes.
Scoop rounded teaspoons (for 3-inch cookies) or rounded tablespoons (for 6-inch cookies) of batter and roll into balls. Place on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 3 to 4 inches between each cookie since they spread.
Bake 1 pan at a time, until the cookies are thin and an even golden brown color throughout, rotating pans halfway through baking time, about 10 to 11 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve.
Optional chocolate topping:
Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very low simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. (Alternatively, put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue heat until completely melted, about 1 to 2 minutes more.)
For sandwiches: Drop about 1/2 teaspoon chocolate onto on the flat side of half of the cookies and press together with remaining halves. Return to rack and let chocolate set.
For chocolate decor: Drizzle melted chocolate over Florentines as desired. Set aside at room temperature until chocolate is set.
Busy baker's tips: Store baked cookies carefully, separated by parchment or waxed paper, in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Florentines are best stored separated from moist cookies and cakes.
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By km4824
on December 20, 2012
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I had the same problem as a few others the first time I tried it. The dough was crumbly and the cookies didn't cook right and were too crunchy. I tried again but this time I pulverized the almonds until they were dust. Problem solved! The second batch was perfect! Crispy, chewy, tasty, just like they are supposed to be. I'm making them to bring for Christmas.
By jovanna_2562938
Long Island, NY
on December 19, 2012
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What a great recipe, almost as good as bakery. I like them even w/o chocolate. This is the one cookie that gets eaten up the fastest, addictive. I baked exactly 10 mins and 30 secs to take out golden. Even if some cookies bake into one another, it's ok. You can break apart when cool, it still looks fine. Let sit on parchment on a rack for 5 or 10 mins and they peel off easily. I then had a moment of genius and used a whoopie pie pan; it has 12 separate indentations and keeps the cookie round and they won't spread out into one another. As recipe states, do NOT store these with other, softer cookies or they will lose their crunch.
By annalynn655
on December 08, 2012
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This is my first time ever chiming in. Parchment was perfect, added almond extract, loved the orange zest (used clementine zest. They were so easy to make and the payoff is unbelievable. These cookies are perfection!
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