Description
Delicate and crispy Florentine cookies layered with a smooth chocolate filling. These almond-based treats feature a rich butterscotch almond batter baked to a golden crisp and sandwiched with a blend of milk and bittersweet chocolate, making them an elegant and delightful dessert perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Almond Batter
- 1½ cups slivered almonds
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
Chocolate Filling
- 3 oz milk chocolate, chopped
- 3 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and position a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Chop almonds: Place the slivered almonds in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped to a texture between almond flour and small nut pieces, being careful not to create a paste.
- Make batter: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and combine it with brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil while stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla and flour until smooth, then fold in the chopped almonds. Let the mixture cool and thicken for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Shape cookies: Drop 1½-teaspoon portions of batter about 3 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet. The batter spreads a lot, so keep the portions small. Shape edges into neat rounds with your fingers.
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 8 to 11 minutes until they turn a rich golden butterscotch color without getting too dark. Transfer the parchment paper with cookies onto a counter to cool for about 5 minutes until crisp, then carefully peel cookies off and cool completely on a rack. Repeat with remaining batter.
- Melt chocolate: Place both types of chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between each, until the chocolate is about 75% melted. Stir gently until fully smooth without overheating.
- Assemble sandwiches: Once cookies are fully cooled, spread a thin layer of melted chocolate on the flat side of one cookie, then top with another cookie flat-side down. Gently press to sandwich, matching sizes as closely as possible. Repeat for all cookies.
- Set and serve: Let the chocolate-set sandwiches rest for about 30 minutes. For best texture and flavor, allow the cookies to soften slightly over a few hours or overnight, achieving a perfect crispy-yet-not-brittle consistency.
Notes
- The batter spreads significantly when baking, so keep spoonfuls small for evenly sized cookies.
- Allow cookies to fully cool before adding chocolate to prevent melting and sliding.
- Use a blend of milk and bittersweet chocolate for balanced sweetness and depth, but you can adjust to your preference.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature; they develop better texture after a day.
- Handle cookies gently when peeling off parchment to avoid breakage.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes per batch (approx. 30 minutes total including all batches)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: European
