Years ago I discovered Florentines, those delicious nut/chocolate confections, and I’ve never looked back.
You’d be forgiven for assuming that Florentines originated from Florence, but it’s not clear where they were first concocted. They are popular throughout Europe and can be found in good bakeries and patisseries across North America.
There are many variations on the Florentine including mixtures of nuts such as hazelnuts, Brazil nuts and almonds, dried or candied fruit and chocolate. My favorite is a very simple one that contains just almonds and dark chocolate. No candied peel and definitely lacking those frightening glace cherries.
You can make Florentines at home. But, they take time and getting the technique right is a bit tricky. Mine always spread into giant sized lacy cookies, but nobody in our home seems to mind and they are gobbled up instantly. Better yet, I’ve discovered that our local Whole Foods sells them – filled with almonds and smothered in dark chocolate. Hmmm, I wonder if they’re good for your skin?
