Chocolate Florentines
A successful almond Florentine—which should be thin, lacy and crisp—depends on achieving the perfect balance between the batter and the almonds. The batter should bind the nuts together without burying them. Work quickly after removing the batter from the heat because it will stiffen as it cools. Although the chocolate drizzle is classic, the cookies are also delicious without it.
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
- 1 tsp. grated orange zest
- 1/4 cup (1 1/2 oz./45 g) all-purpose flour
- 5 Tbs. (2 1/2 oz./75 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) heavy cream
- 1/2 cup (4 oz./125 g) sugar
- 2 Tbs. honey
- 3/4 cup (3 oz./90 g) sliced blanched almonds
For the chocolate glaze:
- 6 oz. (185 g) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (4 oz./125 g) unsalted butter
- 1 Tbs. light corn syrup
Directions:
To make the cookies, preheat an oven to 325°F (165°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, stir together the orange zest and flour until the zest is coated. Set aside.
In a saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, cream, sugar and honey. Cook, stirring, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the almonds, followed by the flour mixture. The batter will be thick. Using 2 tsp. dough for each cookie, drop scoops of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 3 inches (7.5 cm) apart. Flatten each cookie with the back of the spoon.
Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until they spread to about 3 inches (7.5 cm), are bubbling vigorously and have light brown edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the cookies cool on the sheets for 10 minutes. Using a wide spatula, transfer them to the racks and let cool completely.
To make the chocolate glaze, place the chocolate, butter and corn syrup in a large heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) barely simmering water in a saucepan and heat, stirring often, until the chocolate and butter are melted, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour the glaze through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Let cool to 92°F (33°C) before using.
Using a spoon, drizzle the chocolate glaze over the top of each cookie. Let stand until the glaze sets, about 30 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
Adapted from Williams Sonoma Favorite Cookies (Weldon Owen, 2016)
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