Pecan Florentine Food

PECAN FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer or hand-held mixer on medium speed until smooth.
• Add the egg and beat until incorporated.
• Add the vanilla, baking soda, and salt and beat until smooth.
• In a food processor or blender, combine the oats and pecan pieces and pulse several times to grind.
• Add this to the dough and beat until incorporated; the dough will be stiff but sticky.
• Drop the dough by the teaspoonful, about 3 inches apart, onto the prepared sheet pan.
• Flatten the dough slightly with your fingertips.
• Bake for 6 minutes until lightly golden.
• Remove from the oven, carefully remove from the sheet, and let cool completely on wire racks. Repeat the process until all the dough is used, relining the sheet each time with new parchment.

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.

PECAN FLORENTINES

Steps:

• 1. To pulverize pecans put them in a food processor or blender and process until thoroughly ground with a DRY not pasty texture. Then measure out 3/4 of a cup.
• 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with foil and lightly grease foil with a spray on oil.
• 3. Combine pecans and flour in a small bowl.
• 4. Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and milk in a medium saucepan. Put the saucepan over medium heat and stir until mixture comes to a light boil.
• 5. Remove from heat. Add flour and pecan mixture.
• 6. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls about 3 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until lacy and golden brown. Cookies will be soft when they are hot but become crisp as they cool.
• 7. I take the foil and slide it off to a flat heatproof surface to let the cookie cool completely. When cooled, peel the cookies off of the foil and set on wax paper.
• 8. Place chocolate chips in a zip top bag and place in a hot but not boiling pot of water for about 10 minutes. Being very careful not to let the bag get ANY water in it. Knead bag lightly to check that chips are completely melted.
• 9. Pat the bag dry and with scissors snip off a small hole in the corner of the bag. Squeeze melted chocolate over the cookies to decorate.
• 10. Let stand until chocolate is set.

PECAN FLORENTINE

Steps:

• Line cookie sheet with foil. Grease cookie sheet and set aside.
• In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, melted butter or margarine, molasses and milk. Stir in the ground pecans or walnuts and flour.
• Drop level teaspoons of batter 5-inches apart onto a prepared baking sheet. (Bake only 3-5 cookies at a time). Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 5-6 minutes, or till bubbly and deep golden brown. Cool cookies on cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes, or till set. Quickly remove cookies from pan and cool on a rack. Repeat to bake remaining cookies.
• In a small heavy saucepan, melt chocolate or white baking bar over low heat. Drizzle over cookies.

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.