These light and delicate looking Almond Florentines are such a breeze to make and delightful to give as edible gifts. Made of flaked almonds and jewelled with festive candied cherries and citrus peel they are pretty irresistible.

I have to say I’m pretty resourceful and quite shameless when I am trying to source a recipe. I am usually successful. All you have to do is ask and most of the time, people are happy to share. But there was this one time, when I asked someone if I could have their recipe of Florentine cookies that I tried, and I was flatly told NO, because it was a secret family recipe. I really wasn’t sure if she was serious (she was just a friend of a friend), but as you can see it hasn’t deterred me from looking for another recipe source, and this one I’m sharing with you. It has the crispness and the nuttiness of the traditional Florentine, but lighter in texture and just as delicious. Also, it has no added flour, so a bonus if you want something gluten free.

Anyways, these Almond Florentines are by no means traditional, but this is how I like it and so it’s how I make it. Feel free to make it your own, and add your personal stamp on it. And by the way, they are so addictive, you might want to double the quantity. And if you love almonds as much as I do, here’s another simple but sensational cookie recipe for you to try that uses almonds Amaretti Cookies.

What you need to make Almond Florentines

From the Pantry/Fridge – Egg Whites, Icing Sugar, Mixed Peel or finely grated zest of an Orange
Flaked Almonds – For this recipe you need 110g of Flaked Almonds. Why 110g? For some reason, here in Australia flaked almonds are sold in packets of 110g which is approximately 1 cup, that’s why.
Optional Extras – Traditionally Florentines are coated with chocolate on one side. I personally think they are good without any adornment but if I’m gifting it to someone else, I would make an extra effort and drizzle some chocolate on one side, but it’s up to you.

Easy does it…

How to florentines — Mix, Shape and Bake. Easy.

In a small bowl, gently mix together beaten egg whites, icing sugar,mixed peel and almond flakes. You want the almond flakes to be coated with the egg white sugar mix, but you want the flakes intact.
Drop tablespoons of the mix into the prepared pan with ample spaces between them. Use your fingers that has been dipped in water to flatten the cookies as thinly as possible without any gaps between the almond flakes. Alternatively, use a fork to flatten the cookies into shape.
Bake in a preheated 150°C oven for 15 minutes or until the cookies are golden. Cool in the trays. They will be quite fragile while warm.
If topping with chocolate, melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second burst in the microwave. Then use to drizzle one side of the biscuits. While the chocolate is not set, scatter extra nuts or dried fruits on top if desired. A less messy way to melt, if you are only doing small quantities, is to place the chocolate in a sandwich bag, seal it with a knot, then place in hot water to melt. Massage gently until smooth. Snip off one tip of the bag and use directly to drizzle into the cookies.

And while you’re here, please say hello via the comments section below. I would love to know what you think of my Florentine Cookie version.