Nadia . Can . Bake .
Our 12th recipe from Nadiya Bakes is Ginger and Almond Florentines on page 169.
I have made Florentines many times for the bakery. I was not a fan of Nadiya’s recipe. Please review all my tips and suggestions for the perfect Florentine.
Ingredient Adjustments
Take a look at my ingredient adjustments, below recipe comes from one of my classes when I was at school.
I replaced corn syrup with honey 42g/I replaced ginger with candied cherries. I added 1/4 tsp almond extract and 1 tsp Grand Mariner flavouring. Below is the recipe I suggest using for perfect Florentines.
BATTER
- 1 cup/100g sliced or slivered almonds
- 4 tablespoons/56g unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup/100g sugar
- 3 tablespoons/63g honey
- 1 tablespoon/15ml heavy cream
- 1/4 cup/34g all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup/25g chopped candied orange peel
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- zest of one orange (1 tablespoon/6g)
-
Directions
- place almonds in small bowl and break buy hand- leave some whole
- Add flour and salt to almonds
- zest the orange directly into flour/almonds
- Add candied orange pieces
- in a saucepan add sugar, honey, butter, cream
- cook on medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved, should be right before boil stage
- remove from heat and add almond mixture, fold gently until fully combined
- rest mixture for 15 min- it will thicken up
Tips on preparing to bake
- My first choice will always be a silicone mat to bake Florentines. The mat insulates the Florentines, helping to bake more evenly.
- If you don’t have a silicone mat use parchment. Watch closely as they bake faster and can burn quickly.
- This cookie tends to lump in middle and bake unevenly if you don’t spread them out. Dip your finger in water to spread lightly in middle.
- Scoop rounded teaspoons (for 3-inch cookies) on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 3 to 4 inches between each cookie since they spread.
The Perfect Florentine
There are two ways to achieve the perfect Florentine shape:
- use a shallow circle silicone mould
- you can use a large round cutter to trim them right after they come out of the oven. However, you should be able to achieve a nice shape by simply nudging them with a spatula.
- If you want to adjust shape MUST be done while cookies are still warm- they harden VERY quickly
Finishing Florentines
You can choose to finish your Florentines in many different ways. The traditional way is one entire side is chocolate with a wavy finish. These cookies are super fragile, so having chocolate on one entire side gives them stability. Whatever way you choose; dip, drizzle or fully coat, they will be delicious.
The Results
My rating of this recipe is 3 out of 5. I love Florentines, but if you choose to make I suggest following my recipe.
If you want to make this recipe gluten-free just replace flour with same measurement of almond meal.
- Florentines are best when served soon after the chocolate has set. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to two days. Depending on how humid your kitchen is, they may become chewy the longer they sit.
- Florentines don't freeze well so it's best to eat them fresh.
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