Mini Florentines
Submitted by Maira
Mini florentines, lacy caramel cookies studded with hazelnuts, cherries, and candied peel, baked thin and crisp, then coated underneath with dark and white chocolate combed into the classic wavy pattern.
YIELD
60 cookiesPREP
20 minCOOK
10 minREADY
30 minThese jewel-like cookies look like they came from a fancy patisserie, but they’re built on a simple caramel of butter and sugar.
You boil the butter and sugar together, then stir in chopped hazelnuts, maraschino cherries, candied mixed peel, and a little lemon juice. Dropped in tiny hazelnut-sized heaps, the mixture spreads and bakes into thin, lacy, golden wafers.
A quick trick keeps them tidy: push the edges in with a knife as soon as they come out, before they firm up, for neat little rounds.
The signature finish is chocolate. Once cool, you spread melted chocolate, half dark and half white, over the smooth underside, then drag a fork through it to make those classic wavy lines.
Crisp, caramelized, nutty, and chocolate-backed, they’re a staple of Christmas cookie tins and edible gifts.
Pro Tips
- Leave plenty of room between heaps; the caramel spreads a lot as it bakes.
- Neaten the edges with a knife the moment they come out of the oven, while still soft, as the recipe says.
- Cool the cookies completely before coating, and spread the chocolate on the flat underside for the prettiest finish.
Variations
- Use almonds or a mix of nuts in place of hazelnuts.
- Coat entirely in dark chocolate, or drizzle instead of spreading.
- Add a little orange zest with the peel for brighter citrus flavor.
Ingredients
Directions
Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the sugar and bring to the boil, stirring all the time.
Remove from the heat and stir in the cherries, hazelnuts, peel and lemon juice.
Allow to cool slightly while you line two baking sheets with nonstick paper.
Set the oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Put little heaps of the mixture, about the size of a hazelnut, on the sheets, leaving room for them to spread.
Bake for 5 to 6 minutes, until they are a light golden brown.
Push the edges in with a knife to neaten, then leave them to cool on the paper.
Melt the chocolate in two separate bowls set over saucepans of simmering water, or in a microwave for 3 to 4 minutes, then spread over the smooth side of the florentines.
Just before the chocolate sets, make wavy lines with a fork. Leave to cool completely.
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