Austrian Florentines Echte Florentiner Food

FLORENTINER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In saucepan, combine whipping cream, butter and sugar.
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat.
• Add candied fruit, candied orange, almond slivers, ground almonds, and flour, one after the other to cream, mixing well.
• Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet, leaving several inches space in between.
• With fork, dipped in water, press dough to approx 5 cm (2 inches diameter) rounds.
• Bake 5 to 6 minutes.
• Carefully remove and cool on rack.
• In the meantime, for the glaze, melt the grated chocolate with water in double boiler or in microwave.
• After cookies have cooled, brush glaze onto smooth bottom side of cookies.
• Before glaze hardens, make a pattern by moving a fork across glaze.
• Die Florentiner im 180 oC heissen Ofen 5 bis 6 Minuten backen.
• Mit einem Spatel vom Blech loesen und auf einem Kuchengitter abkuehlen lassen.
• Inzwischen die feingeriebene Zartbitterschokolade mit dem Wasser vermischen und im heissen Wasserbad schmelzen.

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.

FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C/gas 4. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and whisk in the flour then add the cherries, flaked almonds, pistachios and orange zest.
• Scoop 10 flat tbsp of the mixture onto the baking sheets, leaving room for them to spread. You will need to do these in batches. Bake for 10 mins until golden. Leave to cool for 2 mins until firm enough to lift onto a wire rack. Cool completely. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a simmering saucepan of water or in the microwave in 30 second bursts. Turn the florentines over on the wire rack. Spoon chocolate onto the base of each florentine and gently spread to the edges. When the chocolate is firm enough to hold its shape, use a fork to draw wavy lines across the chocolate. Leave to set and then store in an airtight container.

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.

AUSTRIAN FLORENTINES (ECHTE FLORENTINER)

Steps:

• FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE:.
• Partially melt chocolate pieces in the top of a double boiler over hot (not simmering) water. Remove from heat and stir until chocolate is melted. Blend in butter. This will also glaze one 8-inch tubed cake. Triple the recipe for the cookies.
• FOR THE COOKIES: Cream butter; add brown sugar gradually, creaming until fluffy. Add honey, corn syrup, and cream gradually, beating well after each addition.
• Sift flour and salt together; add in thirds to creamed mixture, mixing until blended after each addition. Mix in almonds and candied peel.
• Drop by level tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto greased and lightly floured cookie sheets; spread into 2 inch rounds.
• Bake at 350°F about 7 minutes. (Cookies should be delicately browned and about 3 inches in diameter with a slightly lacy appearance.).
• Cool 2 to 3 minutes on cookie sheets. Carefully remove cookies to wire racks; turn flat side up and cool completely.
• Evenly spread bottom of each cookie with about 1 1/2 teaspoons Chocolate Glaze. When chocolate is almost set, draw wavy lines through glaze. About 2 dozen cookies.
• Canadian Family Cookbook.