Leslie's Delicate Florentines - perfect for Easter!

I intended to post this at Christmas ....then Valentine's day...oh well...aren't Florentines perfect for Easter?
This is my friend Leslie and she really wanted to make Florentines for the cookie exchange at Christmas and asked me to help her.  I have wanted to make them for a while so I was thrilled at the idea and they turned out amazing!

Florentines are very delicate wafer thin cookies and are not that easy to make.  Leslie told me to emphasize how you need to be very very precise in the measurements.  I think she was surprised at the importance I placed on measuring carefully.

Makes 24 Cookies - this recipe is from America's test kitchen...

We started with the ingredients:

INGREDIENTS

2 cups slivered almonds

3/4 cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar

1/4 cup orange marmalade

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Use the flattest baking sheets you have and make sure that your parchment paper lies flat. Process almonds in food processor until they resemble coarse sand, about 30 seconds.

2. Bring cream, butter, and sugar to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture begins to thicken, 5 to 6 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to brown at edges and is thick enough to leave trail that doesn’t immediately fill in when spatula is scraped along pan bottom, 1 to 2 minutes longer (it’s OK if some darker speckles appear in mixture). Undercooking will result in a dough that is too runny to portion. Remove pan from heat and stir in almonds, marmalade, flour, vanilla, orange zest, and salt until combined.


3. Drop 6 level tablespoons dough at least 3½ inches apart on each prepared sheet. When cool enough to handle, use damp fingers to press each portion into 2 1/2-inch circle.

Transfer cookies, still on parchment, to wire racks and let cool. Let baking sheets cool for 10 minutes, line with fresh parchment, and repeat portioning and baking remaining dough.

4. Bake until deep brown from edge to edge, 15 to 17 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Check them after 10 minutes then every couple of minutes.  They can burn quickly

5. Microwave 3 ounces chocolate in bowl at 50 percent power, stirring frequently, until about two-thirds melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove bowl from microwave, add remaining 1 ounce chocolate, and stir until melted, returning to microwave for no more than 5 seconds at a time to complete melting if necessary. When melting the chocolate, pause the microwave and stir the chocolate often to ensure that it doesn’t get much warmer than body temperature. Transfer chocolate to small zipper-lock bag and snip off corner, making hole no larger than 1/16 inch.

6. Transfer cooled cookies directly to wire racks. 

Pipe zigzag of chocolate over each cookie, distributing chocolate evenly among all cookies. 

Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes, before serving. 

They really were spectacular Leslie!  Let's do it again sometime:)  and remember you need to teach me how to make your delicious perogies!

Until we bake again...
Penny

Creamy Dreamy Panna Cotta with Creme de Cacao and a crunchy Florentine Cookie ...of course

Anything that is creamy dreamy has got to be good!  I would like to thank Mallory for hosting this challenge.  It was quite easy to make - both the Panna Cotta and the cookies and both were deeeelicious!

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

 Tangerine gelée layer (adapted from my fellow Daring Baker Mary Mary Culinary)

1 cup freshly squeezed tangerine juice

2 tablespoons Creme de Cacao

1 teaspoon powdered gelatin

Panna Cotta Layer

1 cup (240 ml) whole milk

1 tablespoon (one packet) (15 ml) (7 gm) (¼ oz) unflavored powdered gelatin

3 cups (720 ml) whipping cream (30+% butterfat)

1/3 cup (80 ml) honey

1 tablespoon (15 ml) (15 gm) (½ oz) granulated sugar

pinch of salt

1. For the tangerine/chocolate layer: Pour ¼ cup juice into a small saucepan and sprinkle 1 teaspoon gelatin over the top. Let stand a few minutes, then heat over medium-low heat, stirring, until gelatin is completely dissolved. Add the rest of the juice and the Creme de Cacao. 

 Divide amongst 4 small ramekins or pretty glasses (¼ cup in each). Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until set.

2. For the Panna Cotta layer: Pour the milk into a saucepan and sprinkle gelatin evenly and thinly over the milk (make sure the saucepan is cold by placing the  in the refrigerator for a few minutes before you start making the Panna Cotta). Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.
3.Pour the milk into the saucepan and place over medium heat on the stove. Heat this mixture until it is hot, but not boiling, about five minutes. ( whisk it a few times at this stage).
4.Next, add the cream, honey, sugar, and pinch of salt. Making sure the mixture doesn't boil, continue to heat and stir occasionally until the sugar and honey have dissolved 5-7 minutes.

5.Remove from heat, allow it to sit for a few minutes to cool slightly. Then pour into the glass or ramekin carefully on top of the first layer of tangerine.

5.Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.

Recipe from the cookbook “Nestle Classic Recipes”, and their website.
Ingredients:

2/3 cup (160 ml) (150 gm) (5.3 oz) unsalted butter
2 cups (480 ml) (160 gm) (5 2/3 oz) quick oats
1 cup (240 ml) (230 gm) (8 oz) granulated sugar
2/3 cup (160 ml) (95 gm) (3⅓ oz) plain (all purpose) flour
1/4 cup (60 ml) dark corn syrup
1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1½ cups (360 ml) (250 gm) (9 oz) dark or milk chocolate (use good chocolate - it makes a difference!)

Directions:
Preheat oven to moderately hot 375°F (190°C) (gas mark 5). Prepare your baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper.
1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan, then remove from the heat
2.To the melted butter add oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Drop a tablespoon full, three inches (75 mm) apart, onto your prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of your tablespoon, or use a spatula.
3.Bake in preheated oven for 6-9 minutes, until cookies are golden brown. Cool completely on the baking sheets.
4.While the cookies are cooling melt your chocolate until smooth either in the microwave (1 1/2 minutes), or stovetop (in a double boiler, or a bowl that fits atop a saucepan filled with a bit of water, being sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl).
5.Peel the cookies from the silpat or parchment and place face down on a wire rack set over a sheet of wax/parchment paper (to keep counters clean).
6.Spread a tablespoon of chocolate on the bottom/flat side of your cookie, sandwiching another (flat end) cookie atop the chocolate.

This recipe will make about 2 1/2 - 3 dozen sandwiched Florentine cookies. You can also choose not to sandwich yours, in which case, drizzle the tops with chocolate (over your wax paper).

What would I do differently next time?  I would make 3 layers with the orange in between and make them in much smaller glasses - mine were wayyyyy to big!  And I would make some candied orange peel as well. None of this seemed to bother my tasters - Pat, Brenda and Camera Guy who thought it was a nice light dessert after a great winter BBQ!

Camera Guy looked at it suspiciously at first but then loved the Panna Cotta...As far as the cookies go, he thinks I haven't seen him sneaking a few here and there.  They were good!

Until we bake again...
Penny