Florentines

We have two recipes for florentines here, each slightly different.

Both are delicious.

Note in the instructions for each it says to make sure there is a lot of room around the dough piles when you bake the cookies. This is extremely important. These cookies spread out a lot and become very airy, sometimes even a bit holey, when they bake. So leave lots of room and you will be just fine.

Florentine Cookies, Recipe 1:

8 tablespoons margarine
4 tablespoons superfine sugar
1 egg, beaten
4 ounces blanched coarsely chopped almonds
3 ounces plain chocolate
1 ounce blanched almonds cut into long shreds
2 ounces candied peel
2 ounces chopped walnuts
1 ounce glace cherries
2 ounces sultana raisins
3 ounces plain chocolate

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Put butter and sugar in a saucepan and heat until melted. Stir in all other ingredients except shredded almonds and chocolate.

Grease and flour 2 large cookie pans and put small heaps of mixture on these, allowing room to spread. Press shredded almonds on top.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes in centre of oven. Allow to cool before putting cakes on a cooling rack.

Melt chocolate in small bowl over a pot of hot water. Coat bottoms with melted chocolate and draw or pipe chocolate lines across cakes.

Florentines, Recipe 2

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 cup almonds, chopped
1/4 cup glace cherries
1/3 cup white raisins

Frosting:
1 2/3 cups confectioner's sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup butter
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place the butter, sugar and cream in a heavy-bottomed pan. Heat over a low flame, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the butter from the heat and stir in the chopped nuts and fruit.

Grease flat cookie sheets and line with rice paper. Drop small spoonfuls of the mixture onto the cookie sheets. Be sure to leave as much space as possible between them as they spread when they are baking.

Bake for 10 minutes, then leave to cool on the sheets for at least 5 minutes. Move to a cooling rack with the paper still under.

To make the frosting, sift together the sugar and cocoa. Combine half the sugar with the butter and beat well. Gradually add the remaining sugar, alternating with the combined milk and vanilla. When the Florentines have cooled completely, turn them upside down and spread with the frosting. Leave to set before serving.

Makes about 40