Florentine cookies are an elegant, crunchy treat studded with nuts and dried fruit and finished with a chocolate coating on one side. They are surprisingly easy to make and perfect for gifting or serving at holiday gatherings.
Light, caramelized and delicately crisp, florentines have a rich flavor that feels luxurious despite their simple ingredients. While they’re often associated with Christmas and given as homemade gifts, they make a lovely treat any time of year.
What are Florentines?
Florentines are thin, lace-like cookies made from a caramel-style base that spreads as it bakes. After cooling, one side is coated with melted chocolate (dark, milk or white), and the top is studded with chopped dried fruit and mixed nuts for a festive appearance and satisfying crunch.
What fruits and nuts can I use?
Use your favorite dried fruits and nuts — there’s lots of flexibility. Popular choices include glacé cherries, candied peel, raisins, almonds, walnuts, pecans and pistachios. Feel free to mix and match to suit your taste or to use whatever you have on hand.
Ready to bake? Here’s a straightforward recipe that yields about 20 florentines.
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook time
8–10 minutes
Yield
20 pieces
Ingredients
50 g (2 oz) butter
50 g (2 oz) demerara or brown sugar
50 g (2 oz) golden syrup or corn syrup
50 g (2 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
4 glacé cherries, red and green or natural, finely chopped
50 g (2 oz) finely chopped candied peel or raisins
50 g (2 oz) mixed chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, peanuts — choose your favorites)
175 g (6 oz) chocolate (plain/dark, milk or white — use one type or a mix)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (375°F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper; this makes the florentines much easier to remove after baking.
- In a small saucepan, gently heat the butter and golden syrup until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, flour, chopped cherries, candied peel or raisins and the chopped nuts until evenly combined.
- Place teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Flatten each mound slightly with the back of a spoon to form thin rounds.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until golden brown and lacy. Remove from the oven and let the florentines rest on the tray for 2–3 minutes so they firm up. Use a palette knife to transfer them to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
- If any florentines stick to the paper once cooled, pop them back in the oven for a minute to soften, then lift off carefully.
- To finish, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Spread a thin layer of melted chocolate over the flat underside of each florentine with a palette knife and set them chocolate-side up on a rack to firm. Once set, you can drizzle additional chocolate over the tops if desired.
- Store the cooled, chocolate-coated florentines in an airtight container.
Tip
If the florentines harden and are difficult to lift, return the tray to the oven for a minute to soften the caramel base slightly before removing.
Making a mix of white, milk and dark chocolate is a nice way to add visual variety if you’re preparing a selection for guests or gift boxes.
What chocolate can I use?
Choose any good-quality chocolate you enjoy. Dark chocolate gives a richer contrast to the sweet, nutty base, while milk or white chocolate offers a sweeter finish. Mixing types creates an attractive assortment.
These florentines keep well in an airtight container for several days and make a thoughtful homemade gift when wrapped in cellophane or packed in a decorative tin.
Enjoy baking, and feel free to adapt the mix of nuts and fruit to reflect your personal favorite flavors.