Florentines are delicate, crispy, lace cookies made of almonds and coated with a sweet mixture of sugar and honey. The cookies come out wonderfully baked and well rounded – sweet, nutty, crunchy, chewy – a perfect mingle of texture and flavors. Orange zest makes all the difference by adding a deep flavor and gives an extra zing that the cookie needs. Right on season, these cookies are perfect as “Holiday give-away gifts”.
PrintFlorentines
- Yield: 25 Cookies 1x
Ingredients
- Whole walnuts – 1/4 cup
- Blanched whole almonds – 3/4 cup
- All-purpose flour – 1.5 tbsp
- Orange zest – 1 tbsp
- Salt – 1/8 tsp
- Sugar – 1/3 cup
- Heavy cream – 1 tbsp
- Honey – 1 tbsp
- Unsalted butter – 2.5 tbsp
- Pure vanilla extract – 1/4 tsp
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F for 15 mins.
- Pulse almonds & walnuts in a food processor until finely chopped, but not pasty. Combine the nuts, flour, orange zest, salt in a big bowl. Set it aside.
- In a small saucepan, cook sugar, heavy cream, honey, butter over medium heat. Cook the mixture until it comes to a rolling boil and the sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to boil for another 1 min. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour it over the almond mixture and stir just to combine. Set aside to cool.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease it with little butter. Take about a tsp of the batter and make small balls out of it. Place them on the baking sheet leaving about 2-3 inches between each cookie, as it spreads out in the oven.
- Bake for about 10 mins rotating the baking pan in between until the cookies are thin and evenly browned. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 15 mins or more.
Notes
– Let the cookies cool completely before removing from the parchment paper, otherwise they stick to the paper and don’t come off easily.
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Cuisine: Italian
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute the almonds with another type of nut?
Yes, you can substitute almonds with hazelnuts or pistachios, but keep in mind that this will change the flavor profile of the Florentines.
What is the purpose of adding orange zest to the recipe?
The orange zest adds a bright, citrusy flavor that enhances the overall taste of the cookies, giving them a refreshing zing.
How do I know when the Florentines are perfectly baked?
The Florentines should be golden brown around the edges and set in the center; they will continue to crisp up as they cool.
hi, I made the Florentine cookie but it came out hard like a rock :( .. taste great. I understand its supposed to crispy? But mine came out hard and tough.. pls help
I am allergic to walnuts, can l sub the walnuts with almonds? Thx
Sure, You can replace walnuts with almonds. Let me know how it turned out!