Best Florentines Recipes

FLORENTINES (ITALY)

Steps:

• 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.

FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C/gas 4. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and whisk in the flour then add the cherries, flaked almonds, pistachios and orange zest.
• Scoop 10 flat tbsp of the mixture onto the baking sheets, leaving room for them to spread. You will need to do these in batches. Bake for 10 mins until golden. Leave to cool for 2 mins until firm enough to lift onto a wire rack. Cool completely. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a simmering saucepan of water or in the microwave in 30 second bursts. Turn the florentines over on the wire rack. Spoon chocolate onto the base of each florentine and gently spread to the edges. When the chocolate is firm enough to hold its shape, use a fork to draw wavy lines across the chocolate. Leave to set and then store in an airtight container.

FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir the almonds, flour and zest in a medium bowl. Stir the sugar, butter, cream, and honey in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the almond mixture. Cool the batter for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using 2 teaspoons of batter for each cookie, spoon 8 mounds of the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly apart (the cookies will spread). Flatten the batter slightly with your finger.
• Bake the cookies until they are lacy and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Gently slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto a rack and cool completely. Transfer the cookies to paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter, lining the baking sheets with clean parchment for each batch. (The cookies can be made up to this point 2 months ahead. Cool completely, then store airtight in the freezer. Defrost before continuing.)
• Stir the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Spread the melted chocolate over the bottom of 1 cookie. Top with a second cookie, bottom side down, pressing lightly to adhere. Repeat with the remaining cookies and chocolate.

FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets with shortening and dust with flour.
• Stir cream and sugar together in a bowl. Stir in orange peel, flour, and almonds until combined. Drop batter in teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, keeping each cookie well apart from each other.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.
• Spread bottoms of cooled cookies with melted chocolate using a spatula, or spear cookies on a fork and dip bottoms into chocolate. Let dry, bottoms-up, on waxed paper.

FLORENTINES - CHOCOLATE ALMOND LACE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F and line cookie sheets with aluminum foil.
• Cream the butter and sugar.
• Stir in the corn syrup and vanilla.
• Stir in the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon; add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk.
• Blend until smooth and stir in the almonds. Drop by heaping MEASURING teaspoonfuls onto the foil-lined cookie sheets - 3 inches apart.
• Bake for 10 minutes until the edges are browned.
• Let cool completely on the foil.
• Then peel away the foil.
• Melt the oil and chocolate (of your choice).
• You can brush the bottom of each cookie with the chocolate or you can sandwich two cookies together.
• Place in a tightly covered container, but do not refrigerate.
• Place waxed paper between layers of Florentines.

FLORENTINES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, cream, honey, lemon zest and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 4 minutes or until a candy thermometer reads 225°. Remove from the heat; stir in almonds and orange peel., Drop by scant tablespoonfuls 3 in. apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 350° until golden brown, 6-8 minutes. Immediately flatten warm cookies with the back of a spoon. Cool completely on parchment paper., If desired, melt chips in a microwave; stir until smooth. Spread or brush over bottoms of cookies. Use a fork to create wavy lines in chocolate. Place a cherry half in the center. Let stand until set.

FLORENTINES

Steps:

• In a saucepan, mix together 1/2 cup each of heavy cream and sugar and 3 tablespoons butter and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove it from the heat and stir in 1 1/4 cups finely chopped almonds, 3/4 cup finely chopped candied orange peel, and 1/3 cup flour. Drop the batter from a tablespoon into mounds about 3 inches apart on oiled and lightly floured cookie sheets and flatten each cookie with a wet spatula. Bake the cookies in a moderate oven (350°F) for about 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them stand for about 5 minutes. Remove the cookies to a wire rack, let them cool completely, and spread them with chocolate glaze. Chill them.
• Chocolate Glaze
• Melt 1 ounce each of unsweetened chocolate and sweet cooking chocolate over simmering water. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon honey and stir the glaze until the butter is melted. For an easier glaze, use melted bittersweet chocolate.

PECAN FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer or hand-held mixer on medium speed until smooth.
• Add the egg and beat until incorporated.
• Add the vanilla, baking soda, and salt and beat until smooth.
• In a food processor or blender, combine the oats and pecan pieces and pulse several times to grind.
• Add this to the dough and beat until incorporated; the dough will be stiff but sticky.
• Drop the dough by the teaspoonful, about 3 inches apart, onto the prepared sheet pan.
• Flatten the dough slightly with your fingertips.
• Bake for 6 minutes until lightly golden.
• Remove from the oven, carefully remove from the sheet, and let cool completely on wire racks. Repeat the process until all the dough is used, relining the sheet each time with new parchment.

ALMOND FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
• Arrange graham crackers to fill sheet.
• Melt butter in saucepan and heat it with brown sugar over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. DO NOT BOIL.
• Spoon mixture over graham crackers.
• Sprinkle with almonds.
• Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 7 minutes.
• Open door and turn off oven; cool in oven for one hour.
• Cut while still warm, otherwise they will stick to pan.

ALMOND FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Position rack in center of 350 oven. Line baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Pulse almonds processor until finely chopped, but not pasty. Stir together nuts, flour, zest and salt in large bowl. Put sugar, cream, corn syrup and butter in small saucepan. Cook on medium, stirring occasionally, until mix comes to boil and sugar is completely dissolved. Continue boil for 1 min. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, then pour mix into almond mix and stir to combine. Set aside until cool to handle, 30 min. Scoop rounded tspns (for 3in cookies) or rounded tblspns (for 6-in cookies) of batter and roll into balls. Place on baking sheet, leaving 3 to 4 in between cookies since they spread. Bake 1 pan at a time, until cookies are thin with even golden brwn color throughout, rotating pan halfway through bake time, about 10 to 11 min. Cool on bake sheet for 5 min, then transfer to rack to cool. Optional chocolate topping: Put chocolate in a med heatproof bowl. Bring saucepan filled with 1 inch water to low simmer; set the bowl over, but not touch water. Stir chocolate until melted and smooth. Can also do in med microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in microwave until soft, ~ 1 minute. Stir, continue heat until melted, ~1 to 2 minutes more. tip: Store cookies separated by waxed paper, in airtight container for 3 days. Florentines best stored separated from moist cookies and cakes.

FLORENTINES I

Steps:

• Mix flour, soda and salt. Cream 1/4 cup butter or margarine. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add corn syrup and egg. Blend well.
• Stir in flour mixture, coconut and vanilla. Drop by half teaspoonfuls onto greased backing sheets, leaving 2 inches between. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) about 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute, remove quickly and finish cooling on racks (if wafer hardens, return briefly to oven).
• Melt chocolate and 1 tablespoon butter in pan over very low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Drizzle over cookies. Enjoy!

ALMOND FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment and brush with butter. Mix the butter, egg whites, sugar and flour until smooth, then add the almonds. With wet fingers or the back of a spoon, flatten tbsps of mixture into 16 biscuits on the sheets. Bake for 15-18 mins until golden. Cool. Will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days - put pieces of parchment between to stop sticking.

FLORENTINES - FIORENTINE (FLORENTINE COOKIES)

Steps:

• Finely chop walnuts, almonds, raisins, orange and lemon peel, cherries, and ginger.
• Melt butter in a saucepan, then add sugar and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved.
• Bring to a boil and let it boil for 1 minute without stirring (until just turning light golden).
• Remove from heat and mix well with cream and fruit-nut mixture.
• Spoon heaped teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet (if you have a Silpat, use it!), leaving plenty of space for spreading- try only doing four at a time until you see how large they spread.
• Bake at 300 degrees F for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
• Let cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute before carefully removing with spatula.
• Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave and spread thinly on flat side of cookies.

PECAN FLORENTINES

Steps:

• 1. To pulverize pecans put them in a food processor or blender and process until thoroughly ground with a DRY not pasty texture. Then measure out 3/4 of a cup.
• 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with foil and lightly grease foil with a spray on oil.
• 3. Combine pecans and flour in a small bowl.
• 4. Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and milk in a medium saucepan. Put the saucepan over medium heat and stir until mixture comes to a light boil.
• 5. Remove from heat. Add flour and pecan mixture.
• 6. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls about 3 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until lacy and golden brown. Cookies will be soft when they are hot but become crisp as they cool.
• 7. I take the foil and slide it off to a flat heatproof surface to let the cookie cool completely. When cooled, peel the cookies off of the foil and set on wax paper.
• 8. Place chocolate chips in a zip top bag and place in a hot but not boiling pot of water for about 10 minutes. Being very careful not to let the bag get ANY water in it. Knead bag lightly to check that chips are completely melted.
• 9. Pat the bag dry and with scissors snip off a small hole in the corner of the bag. Squeeze melted chocolate over the cookies to decorate.
• 10. Let stand until chocolate is set.

SPIDERWEB FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse together pecans and oats in a food processor until finely ground. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add sugars and honey and cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugars are melted and mixture is simmering, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pecan mixture, flour, salt, and cinnamon. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Mound 2 teaspoonfuls of dough, one on top of the other, to form each cookie; place 2 to 3 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten stacked mounds to 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Bake until cookies spread and are golden throughout, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Place chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted; remove from heat. Pour chocolate into a parchment cone or resealable plastic bag; snip off a tiny corner. Pipe chocolate onto each cookie in a spiral, working out from center. Pipe lines from outside in and back again, all the way around. Let set at room temperature or in refrigerator before serving.

FLORENTINES II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Blend the sugar and the cream. Stir in the flour, almonds and orange peel. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a heavily creased and floured cookie sheet. Spread mixture into thin circles with a spatula.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) just until the edges are light brown about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before removing from the cookie sheet, cool.
• Chop the chocolate up into small pieces. Melt chocolate over low heat or in the microwave on medium for about 3 minutes. Turn the cooled cookies upside down and spread the bottoms with the melted chocolate. Let cookies stand at room temperature until chocolate is firm, at least 3 hours. Store in a covered container at room temperature or refrigerate.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED ORANGE AND GINGER FLORENTINES

Steps:

• For peel:
• Remove peel from oranges (orange part only) in strips using vegetable peeler. Finely chop enough peel to measure 2 teaspoons and set aside for cookie batter. Blanch remaining peel in small saucepan of boiling water 2 minutes. Drain. Return blanched orange peel strips to saucepan. Add 1/2 cup sugar and water and bring to boil, stirring frequently. Boil 5 minutes. Drain; reserve syrup for another use.
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar on plate. Arrange orange peel strips atop sugar. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Let stand 15 minutes. Remove peel from sugar. Finely chop enough peel to measure 2 tablespoons; reserve remainder for another use.
• For cookies:
• Preheat oven to 350&;amp;deg;F. Line 2 heavy large cookie sheets with foil. Lightly butter foil. Combine first 4 ingredients in heavy small saucepan. Cook over medium heat just until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Add 2 teaspoons minced unsugared peel, 2 tablespoons chopped sugared orange peel, almonds, flour and ginger. Bring mixture to boil, stirring frequently.
• Drop 1 level tablespoon mixture (mixture will be runny) onto prepared cookie sheet. Repeat 5 more times, spacing cookies about 3 inches apart. Repeat procedure with second cookie sheet. Bake cookie until edges are pale golden, brown, about 8 minutes (cookies will spread). Remove cookie sheets from oven. Using 3-inch round cookie cutter, push cookie sides in to reshape cookies into 3-inch rounds. Slide foil off sheets. Cool cookies on foil. Turn foil over. Carefully peel off cookies. Line same cookie sheets with new foil. Repeat with remaining batter.
• Line 2 cookie sheets with foil. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from over water. Dip 1 cookie halfway into chocolate; shake off excess chocolate. Place cookie on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining cookies. Refrigerate until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes. Remove cookies from foil. (Can be prepared 2 weeks ahead. Refrigerate in airtight container between sheets of waxed paper. Let cookies stand 20 minutes at room temperature before serving.)

ORANGE MARMALADE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES WITH ALMOND FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Make ice cream:
• Finely grate zest from 2 oranges and cover zest with plastic wrap. Squeeze enough juice from all 3 oranges to measure 1 1/2 cups. Bring juice and 3 tablespoons sugar to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan and simmer until reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Add marmalade and simmer, stirring, until melted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool.
• Bring half-and-half, cream, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and grated zest to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Whisk yolks in a bowl until blended, then add 1/2 cup hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Stir custard into cream mixture in saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat back of spoon and registers 175 to 180°F on thermometer (do not let boil).
• Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a (clean) metal bowl and stir in marmalade mixture, vanilla, almond extract, and salt. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, then chill, covered, until cold, at least 2 hours.
• Freeze custard in ice cream maker. While ice cream is freezing, oil bottom and sides of a 13- by 9-inch baking pan, then line bottom lengthwise with a sheet of plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang on each short end. Spread ice cream in pan, smoothing top, then wrap pan in plastic wrap and freeze until ice cream is hardened, about 4 hours.
• Make florentines while ice cream hardens:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Pulse almonds with sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Cook almond mixture, butter, corn syrup, cream, vanilla, and salt in cleaned 1-quart saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in flour, then transfer batter to a bowl and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
• Roll level teaspoons of batter into balls and arrange about 3 inches apart on baking sheets. Gently flatten balls to about 1 1/4 inches in diameter with a fingertip.
• Bake cookies in batches until golden brown, 7 to 9 minutes. Slide parchment with cookies from sheet onto a rack to cool completely.
• Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, then remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat.
• Working with 1 cookie at a time, lightly brush undersides of cookies with chocolate and put, chocolate sides up, on rack. Chill cookies in 1 layer until chocolate sets, about 5 minutes.
• Assemble sandwiches:
• Unwrap pan of ice cream and cut out 12 (2 1/2-inch) ice cream rounds with cookie cutter. Lift out rounds with offset spatula and sandwich each between 2 chilled florentines, chocolate sides in.

ESPRESSO FLORENTINES

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, cook the butter, sugar and corn syrup together over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a large wooden spoon. Once the butter is melted, remove from the heat and add the almonds, flour, cream, espresso powder, vanilla and salt. Mix well, and allow to cool at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Because Florentines spread so much, you will only be able to bake a few cookies at a time, so the pans will be used multiple times.)
• Using a small cookie scoop or 2 tablespoons, spoon 6 mounds of dough on each sheet, spaced evenly. Bake until golden amber, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Allow the Florentines to cool on the cookie sheets for 3 minutes, then remove them using a thin spatula. To make bowls, place them on top of inverted glasses, and press down gently to mold. For taco shells, drape over a rolling pin. For cigars, gently wrap around the handle of a wooden spoon. For sandwiches, lay them flat on a cutting board or countertop. Cookies will hold their shapes after they've cooled completely. Continue baking cookies in batches. (It is not necessary to cool the baking sheets completely in between.)
• Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 2 weeks, or stored in the freezer for 3 months.

FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Generously grease and flour cookie sheet.
• Stir whipping cream and sugar together until well blended. Stir in almonds, orange peel and flour. Dough will be very thin.
• Drop by scant teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Flatten with knife or spatula.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or just until cookies brown lightly around edges. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.
• Melt chocolate bars over low heat. Turn cookies over; spread with chocolate. Allow to dry 8 hours at room temperature or until chocolate becomes firm. Store in covered container or in refrigerator.