Florentines Recipes

FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4 and line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.
• Finely chop the dried fruit or peel.
• Place a small saucepan over a low heat and add the sugar, butter and flour, stirring to combine. Keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then gradually add the crème fraîche.
• Take off the heat and stir in the flaked almonds, seeds and dried fruit or peel.
• While it's still warm, use teaspoons to drop little mounds of mixture onto the baking sheets, leaving a few centimetres between each one to allow them room to spread.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden. Leave to cool a little on the sheet before cooling on a rack.
• Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, then, using a spoon, drizzle it over the florentines.
• Let the chocolate set completely, before transferring the biscuits to boxes, or wrapping in greaseproof paper and ribbons.

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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 (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:

• 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:

• Preheat the oven to 170C/ 325F/ Gas mark 3.
• Wash all the syrup from the glace cherries, dry thoroughly and dice finely.
• If the pieces of mixed peel are large, dice these to the same size as the cherries. Place the diced cherries, mixed peel, sultanas, flaked almonds and flour in a large bowl.
• In a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter and sugar. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream, then add this to the ingredients in the bowl. Stir until evenly blended. Spoon 6 walnut sized scoops of the mixture onto each baking sheet, spaced well apart, gently pressing down the mounds with a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for 15minutes or until golden. Remove and immediately reshape the Florentines into circles; a cookie cutter is ideal or you can use a knife. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and repeat the process until all the mixture is used and baked.
• Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, stirring occasionally, until it has reached a spreading consistency. Brush chocolate on the underside of each Florentine using a pastry brush and leave to set.