Chocolate Florentines

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 2 1/2 cups (290g) slivered almonds

• 1/4 cup (35g) all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional but recommended)

• 3/4 cup (150g) sugar

• 1/2 cup (1 stick or 115g) unsalted butter

• 1/4 cup heavy cream

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To finish:

• 8 to 10 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

From Simply Recipes 

Notes: 

1. Made this with slivered almonds, and I tasted the batter, and added a little bit of salt too. Baked on parchment paper because my silpats don’t fit on my cookie sheets. Used semisweet chocolate for the middle, and I double boiled, and would do again. 

2. I baked for 6 minutes, too soft, and I also tried 8 minutes, but wasn’t able to get the crunch. Will try a different recipe for next time, though I liked the chocolate balance on these 

Chocolate hazelnut cookies (from Ochre)

 

Ingredients

Makes about 2½ dozen

¾

cup (115 g) blanched hazelnuts

3½

cups (440 g) all-purpose flour

1

tsp. kosher salt

¾

tsp. baking powder

½

tsp. baking soda

½

tsp. ground ginger

1

cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

½

cup (100 g) granulated sugar

½

cup (100 g) raw sugar or granulated sugar

½

cup (100 g) (packed) light brown sugar

2

large eggs, room temperature

¼

cup honey

½

tsp. vanilla extract

4

2-oz. bittersweet chocolate bars, cut lengthwise into ¼"-thick sticks

Flaky sea salt

Preparation

Step 1

Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 300°. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet on upper rack, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then chop very coarsely; set aside. Increase oven temperature to 350°.

Step 2

Whisk flour, kosher salt, baking powder, baking soda, and ginger in a large bowl to combine. Beat butter, granulated sugar, raw sugar, and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally, until pale and fluffy, 5–7 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-high and add eggs, one at a time, increasing speed to high after each addition to fully incorporate and stopping periodically to scrape down sides of bowl. Add honey and vanilla and beat just to combine. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients; beat until combined. Add chocolate and reserved nuts and beat just until incorporated.

Step 3

Scoop dough into 1½-oz. portions (about 3 Tbsp.); roll into balls (if the batter feels loose or sticky, chill 30 minutes). Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill until firm, at least 2 hours.

Step 4

Arrange chilled cookies on 2 fresh parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2" apart; you should be able to fit about 12 cookies on each. Sprinkle cookies with sea salt. Bake, rotating top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until bottoms and edges are golden brown, 12–15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets. Place a fresh sheet of parchment on 1 baking sheet and repeat process with remaining balls of dough.

Step 5

Do Ahead: Dough can be made 1 month ahead. Transfer chilled balls to resealable freezer bags and freeze. Bake from frozen.

Notes:

Made this and on day one with warm cookies, I was not a fan AT ALL. Didn’t like the ginger, didn’t like the soft quality of the nuts. But baked a batched from frozen cookie balls three days later and they were SO yummy once they cooled completely. Didn’t really taste the ginger after that, and while the nuts were still soft, they weren’t so noticeable. Would make again. Could sub out hazelnuts for a different nut.