Florentines with Orange Peel and Chocolate

Close up of orange peel florentines dipped in chocolate.

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5 from 1 vote

Florentines with Orange Peel and Chocolate

The classic chocolate and orange flavours enhance your Florentines.

Prep Time35

Cook Time24

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: cookies

Calories: 118kcal

Author: Carolyn Hetke

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.

Notes

Note 1 - you can substitute glacé cherries, chopped for the orange if desired.

Note 2 -½ cup of melted chocolate will be enought to drizzle lightly over the cookies. 1 cup will be enough to dip the edge or brush on the bottom.

Variation: Use these gluten free Florentines and add fruit and/or chocolate.

Nutrition is based on 1 cup of chocolate.

Nutrition