Mini Florentines

MAKES 2 TRAYS

For the dough: ¼ cup (60 g) butter, 1/3 cup (40 g) wheat flour or spelt flour, ½ cup (100 g) raw cane sugar, 1 pinch salt, ¼ cup (60 ml) cream, ¾ cup + 3 tbsp (100 g) sliced almonds

For the couverture chocolate: 7 oz (200 g) good-quality dark couverture chocolate or dark chocolate glaze

Additional: parchment paper

Mix butter, flour, sugar, salt, and cream in a bowl. Mix in the sliced almonds carefully. Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C), unless you have a convection oven, in which case preheat to 320°F (160°C), or a gas oven, in which case preheat to level 3. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Place dough on the baking sheets one teaspoon at a time, each mound a sufficient distance away from the others, as they tend to spread out during baking. Bake one tray after another in preheated oven (middle shelf) for 10-15 minutes, until the Florentines are an amber color. Remove the baking sheets from the oven. Take the Florentines, along with the parchment paper, off the baking sheets and let cool.

Temper the couverture or melt the glaze according to the instructions on the package. Using two forks, dip the Florentines in either the couverture or chocolate glaze so that the underside of each one is coated. Place them on a cooling rack, chocolate-side up, and let harden.

It is best to bake sample batches of florentines. If they’re too hard, add a little bit of butter; but on the other hand, if the mixture is too soft, knead in a little bit of flour. You can also make the Florentines with candied cherries, candied lemon peel, candied orange peel, or sesame.

98 Packaging: For this, you need a paper towel roll, wrapping paper, cellophane gift wrap, and ribbon. Cut a piece of the paper towel roll suitable for the number of cookies you are wrapping (see photo) and glue the wrapping paper of your choice to both sides. Cut out a large piece of cellophane and place it on the countertop. Then place the paper towel roll with wrapping paper glued onto it in the middle of the cellophane and stack the Florentines inside it. Carefully wrap the cellophane around the paper towel roll and seal from both the left and right sides with ribbon. If desired, you can also cut out a piece of wrapping paper to hang off the gift and attach it using a thin ribbon.

 

It is a quote. Christmas Cookies Dozens of Classic Yuletide Treats for the Whole Family 2015