Florentine Cookies
Delicate Italian wafers studded with almonds, candied fruit, and honey—crispy, buttery, and elegant. These thin, lacy cookies are dipped in dark chocolate for a sophisticated treat.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Servings
- 24
- Calories
- 185
- Protein
- 3g
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup honey
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1.5 cups sliced almonds
- ½ cup candied orange peel, finely diced
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 6 oz dark chocolate (70% cacao), chopped
- ½ tsp coconut oil
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper—the parchment is essential because these cookies are delicate and will stick to unlined sheets.
- 2
Finely dice 0.5 cup of candied orange peel into 1/4-inch pieces. Measure out 1.5 cups of sliced almonds and 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour, setting them aside separately.
- 3
In a 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 0.5 cup unsalted butter, 0.33 cup honey, 0.5 cup granulated sugar, and 0.25 cup heavy cream. Set the pan over medium heat and stir gently with a wooden spoon until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth, about 2-3 minutes. You'll see the mixture become glossy and unified.
- 4
Remove the pan from heat. Add 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1.5 cups sliced almonds, 0.5 cup diced candied orange peel, and 0.5 tsp vanilla extract. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until you have a thick, chunky batter with no dry flour visible—this should take about 30-40 seconds of mixing.
- 5
Let the batter cool on the counter for 3-4 minutes—if you drop spoonfuls while it's scalding hot, they'll spread too quickly. You want it warm but touchable.
- 6
Drop rounded teaspoons of batter onto your prepared parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 3 inches apart in all directions—these cookies spread considerably during baking. You should have about 24 cookies total.
- 7
Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 9-11 minutes. The cookies are done when the edges are deep golden brown and the centers are a lighter golden color—they may still look slightly soft in the middle, but they'll crisp up as they cool. If the edges are browning too fast but centers are pale, lower your oven rack by one position for the next batch.
- 8
Remove the baking sheets from the oven. Let the cookies cool completely on the parchment for at least 10 minutes—they are extremely fragile while warm and will tear apart if you try to move them. Once fully cooled, they'll be crisp and easy to remove.
- 9
Create a double boiler by setting a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water—the bowl should not touch the water. Chop 6 oz of dark chocolate (70% cacao) into 0.5-inch pieces and add to the bowl with 0.5 tsp coconut oil. Stir gently with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 1-2 minutes until it reaches dipping consistency.
- 10
Working with one cooled cookie at a time, hold it by the edge with your fingers or a small fork and dip the bottom half into the melted chocolate, tilting it slightly so the chocolate coats the underside evenly. Quickly transfer the dipped cookie back to parchment paper to set, chocolate-side down. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
- 11
Allow the chocolate to set completely at room temperature for 15-20 minutes—the parchment will help it set faster. Once hardened, the cookies can be stacked in an airtight container and stored for up to one week.
Tools you’ll need
- 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan
- wooden spoon
- two baking sheets
- parchment paper
- teaspoon measure
- heatproof mixing bowl
- medium pot
- rubber spatula
- small fork (optional)
- airtight container
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