Florentine Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (112 g) blanched raw almonds
• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoons mixed peel (optional)
• 2/3 cup (133 g) granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 Tablespoons corn syrup
• 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3-4 oz. dark or milk chocolate, melted (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and position the oven rack to the middle of the oven. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a food processor pulse almonds until they resemble coarse meal, be careful not to overmix as you want bits and pieces throughout (take any large almonds out and chop by hand).
3. In a medium bowl add chopped almonds and cornstarch, mix together. Add mixed peel, stir to combine and set aside.
4. In a small saucepan add sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup and butter. Cook on medium to low heat stirring occasionally and bring to a boil. Boil the mixture for 1 minute and remove from the heat.
5. Add the caramel to the almond mixture and the vanilla extract. Mix to combine. Let the dough mixture sit for approx.10-15 minutes or until it is cool enough to handle and starts to firm up.
6. Scoop teaspoon sizes of the dough mixture and roll into balls. Place the balls on your prepared baking sheet with lots of room between each ball, approx.4 inches apart. The cookies will spread out a lot so you want to leave extra room. It's best to work in small batches for this recipe.
7. Bake one pan at a time for approx. 13 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet to firm up.
8. Drizzle melted chocolate over cooled cookies and let set (optional).

NOTES

• For perfectly round cookies reshape hot out of the oven with an extra large round cookie cutter. And if cookies bake together, use a sharp knife to separate the cookies while they are still warm and soft.
• Store cookies at room temperature in a tin or container with wax or parchment paper separating each layer. Moisture will cause the cookies to soften. You can freeze the cookies for up to 2 months.

Substitutions

1. Flour for Cornstarch: This recipe is a gluten-free version using cornstarch to thicken the cookies. You can easily use all-purpose flour as a substitution, using a 1:1 ratio.
2. Almond Flour for Whole Almonds: You can use almond flour if you don't want to chop up raw almonds, they will have less texture and "lace effect". This could be a good choice if you want to sandwich the cookies with a filling as you will have fewer holes in the cookies.
3. Corn Syrup: For a more natural sweetener, you can swap out corn syrup for honey or agave syrup, both will still help with the caramel texture while adding their own subtle flavours.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 13 mins
Total Time: 28 minutes
Yield: 56

Thank you Alie Romano for the recipe. Discover expert tips and techniques for Florentine Cookies at Baking For Friends.