Almond Florentines
These almond Florentines are thin, crispy lace cookies made with buttery caramelized almonds and finished with a drizzle of dark chocolate. They have delicate, lacy edges and a wonderful combination of crunchy almonds, rich butter, and sweet honey.
These are surprisingly easy to make, and perfect for special occasions or when you're hosting- kind of like my pecan snowball cookies.
I love topping these lace cookies with a drizzle of melted chocolate or some of my homemade date caramel sauce, but of course, you can enjoy them as-is too.
Feature them on your dessert board along with black forest cookies, gluten-free gingersnaps and other festive sweet treats.
Quick Look: Almond Florentines
- 🥣 Prep time: 5 minutes
- 🔥 Cook time: 10 minutes
- ❄️ Cooling time: 8–10 minutes
- 🍪 Servings: About 12–15 cookies
- 🌰 Main ingredients: Sliced almonds, butter, sugar, honey, cream, dark chocolate.
- 🔥 Cooking method: Stovetop + oven-baked.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- ☕ Best served: With coffee, tea, or as a light dessert.
Jump to recipe
What You'll Love About this Recipe
- These cookies are delightfully thin and crispy, with beautiful lace-like edges, and have that nutty crunch from the almonds.
- They're surprisingly quick to make compared to many other traditional cookies.
- They're perfect for holiday cookie trays and entertaining- like my eggnog cupcakes.
Recipe Ingredients
Unsalted butter: Creates the rich, buttery base of the cookies.
Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create the crisp caramelized texture.
Honey: Adds natural sweetness and a deeper flavor to the cookie mixture. Use an infused honey like spice infused honey for some extra deliciousness.
Heavy cream: Gives the caramel mixture a smooth, rich consistency.
Blanched sliced almonds: For the signature crunch and delicate lace-like appearance.
All-purpose flour: Helps bind the almond mixture together.
Dark chocolate: Adds a rich chocolate finish that balances the sweetness.
Substitutions & Variations
- Swap the almonds for pecans or walnuts (try my brown sugared walnuts) for a different nutty flavor. I love slicing up my orange sugared almonds and using them whenever I have them at hand.
- Use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate if you prefer a sweeter finish. You can also dip half of each cooled cookie into melted chocolate instead of drizzling it over the top.
- Add a little orange zest to the almond mixture for a bright citrus note, or stir in a small pinch of cinnamon for a warmer flavor.
How to Make Almond Florentines
Step 1: In a saucepan, cook butter, granulated sugar, honey, and heavy cream over medium heat, until you get a smooth mixture.
Step 2: Take off heat and add the sliced almonds. Mix well to ensure all almonds are coated.
Step 3: Drop tablespoon-sized portions of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Gently spread each portion into a thin layer.
Step 4: Bake in the oven preheated to 350 F for 6-8 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler until smooth.
Step 5: Remove the florentines from the oven and allow them to cool down completely. Drizzle the melted chocolate over them and allow the chocolate to set before serving.
Tips and Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Use parchment paper so the caramelized cookies release easily from the baking sheet.
- Don't place the cookies too close together because they spread considerably while baking. I realized this when I made Anzac biscuits.
- Spread the batter thinly for delicate, crispy Florentines.
- Keep an eye on them during the final few minutes of baking. Let the cookies cool before moving them- they can be fragile while hot.
- Make sure the cookies are completely cool before drizzling the chocolate.
How to Serve Almond Florentines
These delicate cookies are perfect for serving alongside coffee or tea or crumbling over a scoop of vanilla ice cream- kind of like my Feuilletine flakes or Latik.
You can also use it as a garnish over desserts like almond milk rice pudding, or serve it alongside some whipped cream and fresh berries.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Florentines naturally spread as they bake, but excessive spreading can happen if the mixture is too warm or the cookies are placed too close together. Try baking a test cookie first and leave plenty of space between each portion.
Place the Florentines in an airtight container and keep them in a cool, dry place. To help maintain their crisp texture, avoid storing them somewhere warm or humid.
Make sure the cookies are baked until the edges are golden and allow them to cool completely. They become much crispier as they cool.
More Fall Desserts & Sweet Treats
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Almond Florentines
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup blanched sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 100 g dark chocolate chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, granulated sugar, honey, and heavy cream. Stir until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the sliced almonds and flour until the almonds are evenly coated.
- Drop tablespoon-sized portions of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2–3 inches between each cookie. Gently spread each portion into a thin layer with the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 6–8 minutes, or until the Florentines are thin, golden, and lace-like around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 8–10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler until smooth.
- Once the Florentines have cooled completely, drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies. Allow the chocolate to set before serving.
Notes
- Keep a close eye on the cookies while they bake because they can go from golden to overbaked quickly.
- Make sure to leave plenty of space between each portion of batter as the cookies spread considerably in the oven.
- Store completely cooled Florentines in an airtight container to help maintain their crisp texture.
- You can substitute the almonds with finely chopped pecans or walnuts if desired.
