Florentines

[Kerry Beal]

The other day someone mentioned that they loved the florentines that they had bought in europe. I've decided that I can make them without too much trouble, but the question arises "what is traditional in a florentine?"

Should they contain dried fruit, glace cherries, or just orange peel?

[TrishCT]

My Florentine recipe comes from an issue of Bon Appetit from almost twenty years ago. I don't know how traditional it is, but they are called Chocolate Almond Lace Cookies. The cookie part is butter, sugar, flour, milk, ground almonds and almond extract. The filling is just chocolate.

Edited May 20, 2006 by TrishCT (log)

[Swisskaese]

I have had florentines in Europe with just orange peel and with glaceed fruit, but I really want to try this recipe:

Spiced Sesame Orange Florentines with Cashew Nuts and Fleur de Sel

[Desiderio]

umm that look yummy thank you for the link :-)

[Kerry Beal]

My Florentine recipe comes from an issue of Bon Appetit from almost twenty years ago.  I don't know how traditional it is, but they are called Chocolate Almond Lace Cookies.  The cookie part is butter, sugar, flour, milk, ground almonds and almond extract.  The filling is just chocolate.

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Trish,

Would you be willing to PM the proportions? I tried one tonight with orange rind and almonds, found they tasted a bit too busy and I think I'd like to try ones with just almond.

Kerry

[Beanie]

Here is a recipe from "The Art of Fine Baking" by Paula Peck (1961) with my summary of the instructions.

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup honey

2 tbls. butter

1/4 cup candied orange peel, chopped or ground

1-1/2 cups blanched, sliced almonds

3 tbls. sifted flour

8 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted with 1 tbls. veg shortening

Yield: 16 cookies

Combine first 4 ingredients in saucepan, boil until 238 degrees; cool. Add orange peel, almonds and flour. Drop small mounds of batter on cookie sheet 2 inches apart and flatten with a fork. Bake in 400 degree oven until golden brown (around 8-10 minutes). The next part of the instructions isn't very clear. The cookies apparently spread alot, so after removing from oven quickly pull them back into shape with a greased 3-inch cutter. When they are cool enough to handle, place on rack to finish cooling. The underside of the cookie gets coated in melted chocolate.

I just noticed your previous post about not liking orange peel. The above would probably work well without it.

Edited May 21, 2006 by Beanie (log)

[miladyinsanity]

Oh thanks, Ilene!

I've been looking for a florentine recipe too. And I'm with you, Kerry, I like the ones that are just almonds and nothing else.

[Kerry Beal]

Here is a recipe from "The Art of Fine Baking" by Paula Peck (1961) with my summary of the instructions.

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup honey

2 tbls. butter

1/4 cup candied orange peel, chopped or ground

1-1/2 cups blanched, sliced almonds

3 tbls. sifted flour

8 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted with 1 tbls. veg shortening

Yield: 16 cookies

Combine first 4 ingredients in saucepan, boil until 238 degrees; cool.  Add orange peel, almonds and flour. Drop small mounds of batter on cookie sheet 2 inches apart and flatten with a fork. Bake in 400 degree oven until golden brown (around 8-10 minutes). The next part of the instructions isn't very clear. The cookies apparently spread alot, so after removing from oven quickly pull them back into shape with a greased 3-inch cutter. When they are cool enough to handle, place on rack to finish cooling. The underside of the cookie gets coated in melted chocolate.

I just noticed your previous post about not liking orange peel. The above would probably work well without it.

←

Thanks so much for the recipe Ilene.

I've got that cookbook too! Not one of the dozens that I looked in to find a recipe though. It looks like the perfect combination. I'm going to try it both without the orange rind, then with just a small amount very finely chopped. I do love orange rind but it was too overpowering in the ones I made last night.

Kerry

[TrishCT]

This is my adapted recipe. The secret is in the baking. Technique is important.

Chocolate Almond Lace Cookies

(Florentines)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup ground blanched almonds (about 2 1/2 ounces)*

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon almond extract

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit. Line baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray and lightly flour.

2. Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add sugar, flour and salt and sugar and stir until sugar dissolves, about three minutes.

3. Mix in almonds and milk and stir until slightly thickened.

4. Remove from heat and blend in almond extract. Let cool slightly.

5. Drop between 1/8 and 1/4 teaspoon of batter onto prepared sheet, at least 3 inches apart. They REALLY spread out.

6. Bake until light-medium golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.

7. Let stand about two minutes to firm slightly. Put your fingertips undeneath the foil to pop the cookies off. Place on rack to cool.

8. When cool, using a thin metal spatula (the cookies are delicate and a knife is too thick and can break the cookie), spread some melted chocolate on the smooth side of a cookie and place it against the smooth side of another cookie to form a sandwich. Let cool till filling sets.

*You can buy blanched almonds rather than making your own, I grind them in a food processor. They should be chopped coarse and not in a paste)

TIPS: I make them really small, so when they cook they end up being between the size of a quarter and half dollar.

If you put the batter on a warm or hot pan, the batter will spread. Cool the baking sheets in between batches to keep from getting irregular shapes.

Also, after removing the cookies from the oven, take the whole sheet of foil off the baking pan and put it on a flat surface so the cookies can cool quickly, if they stay on a hot sheet pan they keep cooking.

The cookies do not come off the foil easily if they are warm. Put your fingers underneath the foil and press upwards around the cookie, you should feel it give and pop off. These cookies break easily.

If anyone has anyone questions or problems let me know. These are delicious.

Edited May 21, 2006 by TrishCT (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Chocolate Almond Lace Cookies

(Florentines)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup ground blanched almonds (about 2 1/2 ounces)*

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon almond extract

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit. Line baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray and lightly flour.

2. Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add sugar, flour and salt and sugar and stir until sugar dissolves, about three minutes.

3. Mix in almonds and milk and stir until slightly thickened.

4. Remove from heat and blend in almond extract. Let cool slightly.

5. Drop between 1/8 and 1/4 teaspoon of batter onto prepared sheet, at least 3 inches apart.

6. Bake until light-medium golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.

7. Let stand about two minutes to firm slightly.  Put your fingertips undeneath the foil to pop the cookies off.  Place on rack to cool.

8.  When cool, using a thin metal spatula, spread some melted choclate on the smooth side of a cookie and place it against the smooth side of another cookie to form a sandich.  Let cool to filling sets.

*You can buy blanched almonds rather than making your own, I grind them in a food processor.  They should be chopped coarse and not in a paste)

TIPS:  I make them really small, so when they cook they end up being between the size of a quarter and half dollar.

If you put the batter on a warm or hot pan, the batter will spread.  Cool the baking sheets in between batches to keep from getting irregular shapes.

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Thanks so much Trish, can't wait to try these.

K