Florentine squares, also known as Florentine cookies, are a classic Italian pastry that is known for its delightful combination of flavors and textures. These sweet and nutty treats are made with a base of almond flour and sugar, topped with a layer of rich chocolate ganache and decorated with candied fruit and nuts. While there are numerous variations of Florentine squares, they all share a few key characteristics: a crispy exterior, a chewy interior, and a burst of flavor in every bite. Whether you are a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, this article will guide you through the process of creating the perfect Florentine squares, ensuring a delicious and satisfying experience.
Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!
FLORENTINES (ITALY)
These Tuscan cookies are a Christmas classic. They're nutty, lacy and crisp, as well as deceptively simple to make. Drizzling them with chocolate turns them into the perfect holiday indulgence.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories dessert
Time 1h35m
Yield 5 dozen 3-inch Florentines, or 2 1/2 dozen 6-inch Florentine
Number Of Ingredients 10
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.
FLORENTINE COOKIE BARS
Celebrate the season with these rich, chewy holiday treats. Get the whole family involved in decorating them. - Carole Sepstead, Grafton, Wisconsin
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 1h20m
Yield 8 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Gradually add flour and mix well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle., Roll dough into an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 375° for 7-9 minutes or until lightly browned., Meanwhile, in a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, cream, butter and honey. Cook, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer reads 246° (firm-ball stage). Remove from the heat; stir in the almonds, cherries and currants. Spread evenly into crust., Bake for 18-22 minutes or just until filling is set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate overnight., Remove florentine from pan. With a sharp knife, trim edges of crust; discard the trim. Cut lengthwise into six strips; cut each strip into 16 triangles., In a microwave-safe bowl, melt candy coating; stir until smooth. Dip the short side of each triangle into candy coating; place on waxed paper. Drizzle with additional candy coating. Let stand until set. Cover and store in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 149 calories, Fat 8g fat (5g saturated fat), Cholesterol 15mg cholesterol, Sodium 28mg sodium, Carbohydrate 18g carbohydrate (14g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 1g protein.
FLORENTINES
Enjoy these classic florentines at Christmas time. Jewelled with cherries and pistachios and coated in chocolate, these biscuits are the perfect festive gift
Provided by Katy Gilhooly
Time 45m
Yield Makes 20
Number Of Ingredients 9
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 138 calories, Fat 8 grams fat, SaturatedFat 3 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 14 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 10 grams sugar, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 2 grams protein, Sodium 0.1 milligram of sodium
EGGS FLORENTINE SQUARES
This is a really great brunch recipe from my mother. It's easy to make and is great for a large gathering. Pairs well with Gallo Family Vineyards Chardonnay.
Provided by Taste of Home
Time 55m
Yield 12-15 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- In a large bowl, beat eggs. Stir in cheeses, spinach, butter, nutmeg and pepper sauce. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.
Nutrition Facts :
FLORENTINES II
Thin lacey cookie made with whipping cream.
Provided by Robin Evert
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European French
Yield 30
Number Of Ingredients 6
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 105.7 calories, Carbohydrate 13.5 g, Cholesterol 8.2 mg, Fat 5.8 g, Fiber 0.8 g, Protein 1.3 g, SaturatedFat 2.8 g, Sodium 2.3 mg, Sugar 5.5 g
FLORENTINES I
These are delicious and worth the trouble.
Provided by J
Categories Desserts Cookies Drop Cookie Recipes
Yield 24
Number Of Ingredients 11
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!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 69.1 calories, Carbohydrate 8.5 g, Cholesterol 14.1 mg, Fat 3.8 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 0.8 g, SaturatedFat 2.4 g, Sodium 39.4 mg, Sugar 5.2 g
NUTTY FLORENTINE BARS
This clever tray bake combines a buttery shortbread base with a Florentine inspired topping - finished with cherries and dark chocolate
Provided by Sarah Cook
Categories Afternoon tea, Treat
Time 1h5m
Yield Cuts into 18-21 bars
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Start with the base. Line a 20cm square tin with some baking parchment. Put 200g of the butter and 100g of the sugar in a food processor and whizz until smooth. Add the almond extract, flour and ground rice, and pulse until the mixture comes together. Press the mixture into the base of your tin, flattening the surface as much as possible. Chill for at least 30 mins, or for up to 2 days.
- Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Peel off the cling film, prick the base a few times with the prongs of a fork. Bake for 25 mins.
- Meanwhile, put the remaining 25g butter, 75g sugar and 1 tbsp flour in a small pan. Heat gently, stirring, until the butter and sugar have melted. Stir in the cream until smooth, then the nuts, glacé and dried cherries.
- When the base has baked, dot the hot nut mixture all over the top and gently spread with the back of a spoon. Return to oven and bake for another 10-20 mins until the top is golden - check every 5 mins. Cool to room temperature, then melt the dark chocolate in a microwave or in a bowl over, but not touching, a pan of hot water. Drizzle the chocolate all over the top, and leave to set solid before removing and cutting into thin bars.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 257 calories, Fat 16 grams fat, SaturatedFat 8 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 24 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 12 grams sugar, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 3 grams protein, Sodium 0.2 milligram of sodium
Tips:
- Mise en place: Before you start baking, make sure you have all of your ingredients and equipment ready to go. This will help you stay organized and avoid any scrambling during the baking process.
- Use softened butter: When a recipe calls for softened butter, it means that the butter should be at room temperature and easily spreadable. This will help the butter to blend evenly into the other ingredients and create a smooth batter.
- Cream the butter and sugar together: This step is essential for creating a light and fluffy batter. Creaming the butter and sugar together incorporates air into the mixture, which helps the cake to rise properly.
- Add the eggs one at a time: When adding eggs to a batter, it's important to add them one at a time and beat well after each addition. This will help to prevent the batter from curdling.
- Don't overmix the batter: Overmixing the batter can result in a tough, dense cake. Mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined.
- Bake the cake at the right temperature: The temperature of the oven is critical for baking a cake. Make sure to preheat the oven to the correct temperature before baking the cake.
- Cool the cake completely before frosting: Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting it. This will help to prevent the frosting from melting and running off the cake.
Conclusion:
Florentine squares are a delicious and easy-to-make treat that are perfect for any occasion. With a moist and chewy shortbread crust, a creamy chocolate filling, and a crunchy topping, these squares are sure to be a hit with everyone who tries them. So next time you're looking for a sweet treat to bake, give Florentine squares a try.
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