Florentines, also known as florentine cookies or Florentine biscuits, are classic Italian treats that have delighted taste buds for centuries. These delicate and crispy cookies are characterized by their thin, lace-like appearance and are made with a combination of nuts, candied fruit, and a sweet, chewy filling. Whether you're a seasoned baker or just starting out in the kitchen, creating delicious florentines at home is a rewarding and gratifying experience. As we embark on this culinary journey, we'll explore the origins of these delectable cookies, uncover the secrets behind their unique flavor, and provide you with a step-by-step guide to help you craft your own perfect batch of florentines.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
FLORENTINE COOKIES
A combination of nuts and dried fruits with a rich chocolate coating makes these cookies, from Gramercy Tavern pastry chef Claudia Fleming, a delectable holiday treat.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes
Yield Makes about three dozen
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine honey, sugar, and butter in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the temperature reaches 238 degrees (the soft-ball stage) on a candy thermometer. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine nuts, dried fruit, flour, and spices.
- Pour honey-sugar mixture over contents in large bowl, stirring with a wooden spoon to combine. When cool enough to handle, form into 1-inch balls with hands coated with vegetable shortening to prevent sticking. Place on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat mat or parchment paper, and flatten into balls with the palm of your hand. Bake until bubbled on top, about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate: In the top of a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stir chocolate with a spatula until smooth. Working quickly, using a small offset spatula, spread a thick layer of chocolate on the back of each cooled cookie. Place cookies, chocolate side up, on a wire rack until chocolate is hardened. Store between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container.
LACE COOKIES (FLORENTINE COOKIES)
These Florentine lace cookies are simple to make and gorgeous to look at. This cookie technique is versatile and adaptable to any kinds of nuts or chocolate. They also keep pretty well so they're perfect if you're looking for an idea for an edible holiday gift for any cookie lover on your list--just stack them up in a box and tie them with a bow!
Provided by Chef John
Time 2h20m
Yield 18
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner (such as Silpat®).
- Place almonds into the bowl of a food processor; alternate pulsing and running at full speed every few seconds until finely chopped and crumblike. Be careful not to go too far; you don't want them too fine and pasty.
- Combine butter, brown sugar, and honey in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir a few times and cook until melted and dissolved. Bring to a boil, then carefully remove from the heat.
- Add vanilla extract, salt, and flour, and whisk until smooth. Add chopped almonds and mix with a spatula until everything is combined.
- Drop eight uniformly sized, rounded spoonfuls of batter (each about 2 teaspoons, or 15 grams) onto the prepared sheet. Fine-tune the cookie shapes and make sure they are evenly spaced.
- Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake until golden brown and a bit darker around the outsides, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.
- Remove from the oven and slide the silicone liner off the baking sheet and directly onto the countertop. Allow to sit until cool and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes, then gently peel cookies off the liner. Repeat to bake remaining batches.
- Spread melted chocolate over the flat side of one cookie. Place a second cookie, flat-side down, on top to make a sandwich and press very gently to seal. Repeat to form remaining cookies. Let sit until chocolate has firmed up, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 212.5 calories, Carbohydrate 22.1 g, Cholesterol 13.6 mg, Fat 13.9 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 3.1 g, SaturatedFat 5.4 g, Sodium 13.2 mg, Sugar 18.4 g
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.
FLORENTINES
Provided by Giada De Laurentiis
Categories dessert
Time 2h45m
Yield 28 Sandwich Cookies
Number Of Ingredients 8
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.
FLORENTINE COOKIES
Super easy Florentine cookies sandwiched with melted chocolate.
Provided by Dawnsigkap
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 30m
Yield 24
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 2 cookie sheets with aluminum foil.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan. Remove from heat and mix in oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla, and salt until well combined. Drop by level teaspoonfuls 3 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Spread cookies out thin with a rubber spatula.
- Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheets.
- Meanwhile, place chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until chocolate is melted and smooth, about 5 minutes.
- Peel foil from cookies. Spread melted chocolate on 1/2 of the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 160.1 calories, Carbohydrate 22.6 g, Cholesterol 13.8 mg, Fat 7.7 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 1.7 g, SaturatedFat 4.6 g, Sodium 62.9 mg, Sugar 12.4 g
FLORENTINES
Candy cookies? These sweet chocolate-orange cookies are so luscious and chewy, they taste just like candy.
Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens
Categories Dessert
Time 9h55m
Yield 5
Number Of Ingredients 6
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 50, Carbohydrate 3 g, Cholesterol 5 mg, Fat 1, Fiber 1 g, Protein 1 g, SaturatedFat 2 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 0 mg
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.
SPIDERWEB FLORENTINES
Florentines may look as lacy and delicate as a spider web, but they're very simple to prepare. The heat of the oven does most of the work, transforming mounds of the easy-to-make dough into thin, crisp, nutty cookies. Just add a fanciful drizzle of chocolate and they'll disappear before you can say, "Boo!"
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes
Time 2h5m
Yield Makes 22 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 10
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 - FIORENTINE (FLORENTINE COOKIES)
My husband Mike makes these fabulous flat (no-flour) Italian cookies every year for the holidays, and they're absolutely heavenly! These cookies are an excellent addition to food gifts, as they will keep for a long time. Silpat baking sheets are very helpful when making these little gems.
Provided by Julesong
Categories Drop Cookies
Time 20m
Yield 20 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Finely chop walnuts, almonds, raisins, orange and lemon peel, cherries, and ginger.
- Melt butter in a saucepan, then add sugar and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved.
- Bring to a boil and let it boil for 1 minute without stirring (until just turning light golden).
- Remove from heat and mix well with cream and fruit-nut mixture.
- Spoon heaped teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet (if you have a Silpat, use it!), leaving plenty of space for spreading- try only doing four at a time until you see how large they spread.
- Bake at 300 degrees F for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute before carefully removing with spatula.
- Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave and spread thinly on flat side of cookies.
FLORENTINES
We love the citrus and nut combination of these classic cookies. Melted chocolate and candied cherries give them an extra-special touch. -Cleo Gonske, Redding, California
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 40m
Yield 4 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 10
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 60 calories, Fat 4g fat (2g saturated fat), Cholesterol 7mg cholesterol, Sodium 29mg sodium, Carbohydrate 6g carbohydrate (5g sugars, Fiber 0 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
MILK CHOCOLATE FLORENTINE COOKIES (FASTER NESTLE VERSION)
These are cookies from Austria with origins in Italy. Great when you want a cookie from around the world. They are crisp and delicate lacy like cookies when put together with chocolate make a sandwich cookie. It is meant to be crisp. Traditional Florentines have fruit in them but these are the chocolate version. This recipe is from Nestle and saves oodles of time by microwaving the chocolate rather than using a double broiler. Enjoy these they are a hit.
Provided by ChefDLH
Categories Drop Cookies
Time 50m
Yield 3 1/2 dozen
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- PREHEAT oven to 375°F Line baking sheets with foil. (a must).
- MELT butter in medium saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla extract and salt; mix well. Drop by level teaspoons, about 3 inches apart, onto foil-lined baking sheets. Spread thinly with rubber spatula.
- BAKE for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets on wire racks. Peel foil from cookies.
- MICROWAVE morsels in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; STIR. Morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10 to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Spread thin layer of melted chocolate onto flat side of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies to make sandwiches.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1319.7, Fat 63.9, SaturatedFat 38.7, Cholesterol 114.8, Sodium 554.3, Carbohydrate 174.4, Fiber 8.2, Sugar 106.8, Protein 15.9
Tips:
- To make sure the Florentines are nice and crispy, bake them until the edges are golden brown and the centers are still slightly soft.
- If you want the Florentines to be extra nutty, toast the nuts before adding them to the batter.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter, as this will make the cookies tough.
- If you don't have a piping bag, you can use a spoon to drop the batter onto the baking sheet.
- Make sure to let the Florentines cool completely before serving, as they will be very fragile when they are warm.
Conclusion:
Florentines are a delicious and easy-to-make cookie that are perfect for any occasion. They are crispy, nutty, and have a delicate flavor that is sure to please everyone. With a little bit of patience, you can make these cookies at home and enjoy them with your family and friends.
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