Florentine lace cookies impress every time. Almond charm, chocolate ribbons and a delicate crunch – now that’s what we call impeccable taste.
The cookies turn out best when the dough has been refrigerated overnight.
Preheat the oven to 380 degrees.
Place the sugar, salt, butter, shortening, honey, cinnamon and water in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and cool the mixture to 130 degrees.
Stir in the flour and the almonds. Refrigerate the dough for at least 6 hours or overnight until firm.
Drop tablespoon-size balls onto a parchment-lined baking pan. Allow room between each ball, as the cookies will flatten as they bake. (For best results, do a test with one cookie to see how flat it bakes and to monitor how it browns in the oven.)
Bake the cookies for 7 to 8 minutes until medium brown. Let them cool and peel them off the paper.
Dip one end of the cookies in the chocolate, or drizzle the chocolate on top. Let the chocolate set.
Store the cookies flat and at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Pinch of salt
½ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup shortening
3 Tbsp. honey
Pinch of cinnamon
¼ cup water
½ cup bread flour
1½ cup sliced almonds, roughly chopped
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2008.