Florentines with Orange Peel and Chocolate will be sure to stand out on your Christmas cookie platter.
Orange and chocolate are a classic flavour combination and the almond base make a perfet foil for it.
These cookies store well for a couple of weeks airtight in a cool dark place. They are also sturdy enough to freeze and defrost beautifully. They will keep a couple of months in the freezer so you can really get a jump on your Christmas baking with these.
The finished cookies can be a bit sticky so be sure to use parchment paper to separat layers of cookies when storing. They can touch but don't crowd them so much they overlap.
These make a great addition to a Christmas cookie platter - especially when Chocolate Dipped Orange Peel are included!
Whipped Shortbread Cookies add some interest and you can just see in the corner the Florentine with Cherry and Chocolate I made as well.
If you are looking for gluten free Florentines then check these out. 4 ingredients only! You could however include the fruit and chocolate as indicated in this recipe and keep them gluten free.
There are 2 volumes of chocolate included in the recipe. The lesser volume will be enough to drizzle the cookies with chocolate while the 1 cup will be enought to either dip the edge of the cookie in it or brush it on the bottom of the cookies.
I suppose you could make these any time of the year but I associate them with Christmas. You could make them dainty enough to include in a tea tray. Enjoy whenever ou choose to serve them.
Florentines with Orange Peel and Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups sliced almonds Divided 1 ¼ cups and ½ cup
- 2 tablespoon flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoon whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup orange zest rough chopped strips (not grated) or orange glacé rough chopped See Note 1
- ½- 1 cup dark chocolate (72% cocoa) or semi-sweet chocolate chips. See Note 2
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment of silicone.
- Pulse ½ cup almonds slices in food processor until ground. Transfer to a bowl and add flour, salt and remaining almond slices.
- Combine suguar, butter, corn syrup and cream in microwaveable bowl. Heat on medium heat stirring every 30 seconds until mixture is uniformly melted and mixed. Heat 1 minute on high. (So mixture boils for 1 minute).
- Add vanilla and orange pieces and stir till evenly combined. Mix wet mixture into the dry until well combined. All mixture to cool about 10 minutes until dough is cool enough to handle.
- Using half the dough mixture, drop a generous teaspoon on to the baking sheet about 3 " apart. Mixture will spread.
- Bake about 12 minutes until cookies are lightly golden. While cookies are baking drop the remaining batter on to the 2nd baking sheet.
- Allow cookies to cool about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- When cookies are completely cool, gently melt chocolate in a microwaveable bowl or cup on medium high heat. Stir every 20 seconds and be careful it doesn't burn. If using ½ cup of chocolate, take a spoon and drizzle chocolate over the cooled cookies tops. If using 1 cup of chocolate you can either dipp the edge of the cookie in the cup or brush the chocolate on the bottom of the cookie. Allow chocolate side up to cool completely.
- Cookies will store in an airtight container in a cool place a couple of weeks. They also freeze and defrost well for one or two months. Ensure there is parchment paper between the layers of cookies when storing since they will be a bit sticky.
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