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.