Apricot Florentines With Chocolate Glaze Food

FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir the almonds, flour and zest in a medium bowl. Stir the sugar, butter, cream, and honey in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the almond mixture. Cool the batter for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using 2 teaspoons of batter for each cookie, spoon 8 mounds of the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly apart (the cookies will spread). Flatten the batter slightly with your finger.
• Bake the cookies until they are lacy and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Gently slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto a rack and cool completely. Transfer the cookies to paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter, lining the baking sheets with clean parchment for each batch. (The cookies can be made up to this point 2 months ahead. Cool completely, then store airtight in the freezer. Defrost before continuing.)
• Stir the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Spread the melted chocolate over the bottom of 1 cookie. Top with a second cookie, bottom side down, pressing lightly to adhere. Repeat with the remaining cookies and chocolate.

CHOCOLATE FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 180°c and line 3 baking trays with baking paper.
• In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cream, butter and maple syrup and bring to the boil.
• Allow to cook until the mixture turns golden brown.
• Add the almonds, cherries and flour and mix together quickly to coat in the buttery-sugar mixture.
• Place spoonfuls of the mixture on the baking trays, making sure you leave sufficient space in between each Florentine as they will spread quite a bit.
• Place the trays in the oven and allow to bake for 10-15 minutes until the cookies are a deep amber colour.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
• Optional: Melt the chocolate and spread onto the back of each Florentine. Allow to set then store in the fridge until ready to eat.

FLORENTINES (ITALY)

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• Pulse the almonds in a food processor until finely chopped, but not pasty. Stir together the nuts, flour, zest and salt in a large bowl.
• Put the sugar, cream, corn syrup and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a rolling boil and sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, then pour mixture into almond mixture and stir just to combine. Set aside until cool enough to handle, 30 minutes.
• Scoop rounded teaspoons (for 3-inch cookies) or rounded tablespoons (for 6-inch cookies) of batter and roll into balls. Place on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 3 to 4 inches between each cookie since they spread.
• Bake 1 pan at a time, until the cookies are thin and an even golden brown color throughout, rotating pans halfway through baking time, about 10 to 11 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve.
• Optional chocolate topping: Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very low simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. (Alternatively, put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue heat until completely melted, about 1 to 2 minutes more.)
• For sandwiches: Drop about 1/2 teaspoon chocolate onto on the flat side of half of the cookies and press together with remaining halves. Return to rack and let chocolate set.
• For chocolate decor: Drizzle melted chocolate over Florentines as desired. Set aside at room temperature until chocolate is set.

CHOCOLATE-GLAZED FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Combine the almond flour, all-purpose flour and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Combine the sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup and butter in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar is dissolved; continue to boil 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the sugar mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Set aside until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes.
• Roll rounded tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Arrange at least 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the cookies spread out and turn golden brown, 10 to 11 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Make the glaze: Microwave the semisweet chocolate and white chocolate in separate microwave-safe bowls in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth. Transfer the white chocolate to a small resealable bag. Flip the cookies over so the smooth side is up. Spread each cookie with a thin layer of semisweet chocolate. Snip a corner of the white chocolate bag and pipe lines on the semisweet chocolate; drag a toothpick across the lines. Let set, about 2 hours.

FLORENTINES

Steps:

• In a saucepan, mix together 1/2 cup each of heavy cream and sugar and 3 tablespoons butter and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove it from the heat and stir in 1 1/4 cups finely chopped almonds, 3/4 cup finely chopped candied orange peel, and 1/3 cup flour. Drop the batter from a tablespoon into mounds about 3 inches apart on oiled and lightly floured cookie sheets and flatten each cookie with a wet spatula. Bake the cookies in a moderate oven (350°F) for about 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them stand for about 5 minutes. Remove the cookies to a wire rack, let them cool completely, and spread them with chocolate glaze. Chill them.
• Chocolate Glaze
• Melt 1 ounce each of unsweetened chocolate and sweet cooking chocolate over simmering water. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon honey and stir the glaze until the butter is melted. For an easier glaze, use melted bittersweet chocolate.

FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine the sugar, butter, honey, and whipping cream in a saucepan. Bring ingredients to a boil. Remove from heat and add the almonds, candied orange rind, bread flour, vanilla, and salt. Mix all ingredients.
• Spoon mixture by tablespoons, 3 inches apart, onto a greased or paper-lined pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Roll cooled Florentines into desired shapes.

APRICOT FLORENTINES WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and place in the 350-degree oven, shaking the sheet occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully; nuts burn quickly.
• In a blender or food processor, combine the dried apricots and the flour. Pulse until the apricots are finely diced. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, sugar and butter and cook, stirring, until the butter is melted. Increase the heat to medium-high, bringing the mixture to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the almonds, almond extract and floured apricot pieces, stirring to combine. Drop the batter by the tablespoon, at least 2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. Using the back of a spoon dipped in water, flatten each cookie until it's smooth. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and let them cool just until they are solid enough to be transferred to a rack to cool completely.
• To make the chocolate glaze, in a small saucepan over low heat, melt 1 cup of the chocolate. Remove it from the heat and add the remaining chocolate, stirring until melted and smooth. Using a spatula, spread the bottom of each cooled cookie with the glaze. Run the tines of a fork through the chocolate to create a wavy pattern and place the cookies back on the rack, chocolate side up, to set. (They may be refrigerated to make them set faster.) Store in an airtight container, layered between strips of wax paper.