Food52
No one makes Florentines and they should be! I love them because they straddle the line between cookie and candy. Round, flat and crispy like a cookie; caramelly, sweet, and buttery like a hard toffee. They are super easy, really beautiful, and incredibly delicious. Reason 1 for why Florentines are great: You can make them with what you already have in your pantry. Here, I use pistachios, but any nut or seed or even cereal will work. Just use the same amount as the pistachios called for in this recipe. Reason 2 for why Florentines are great: You don't need a mixer—in fact, you don’t even need a bowl. Just grab a small saucepan to bring everything to a boil and that’s it, ready to bake. Reason 3 for why Florentines are great: They welcome chocolate of any kind—or not. (To be honest, I think they are prettier without I, but they do actually taste better with it.) Here, I use dark, bittersweet (over 70% cacao) chocolate, because the bitterness cuts through the sweetness of the cookie. But any chocolate, even white or milk, will work. And to be honest, you don’t have to temper if you don’t want to—just melt in a double boiler and paint away! (If you don't temper, you won't get as shiny and silky of a texture on the chocolate in the end, but you'll eat these cookies so quickly that maybe it doesn't matter anyway.)
