Florentine Squares Recipe (Only 5 Ingredients!) (2024)

FAQs

Why is my Florentine not crispy? ›

Check the bottom of the florentine, it they are not browned yet, bake a bit longer. They appear to be soft out from the oven. Let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to let them cool down completely. They will be crispy once cooled down.

You can do this with baking parchment or a reuseable baking tray liner. Florentines do tend to spread a lot when you bake them, so use a dessert spoon or teaspoon when placing them on the baking sheet, making sure you leave plenty of room for them to spread.

Florentines are made of nuts (typically hazelnuts and almonds) and candied cherries mixed with sugar melted together with butter and honey, cooked in an oven. They are often coated on the bottom with chocolate, which is traditionally scored in a wave pattern with the tines of a fork for decoration.

Freshly made and completely cold, stored in an airtight container they should be good for up to a month.

Florentine or à la Florentine is a term from classic French cuisine that refers to dishes that typically include a base of cooked spinach, a protein component and Mornay sauce.

Florentines are relatively easy to make gluten-free as they already contain very little flour. I always include finely chopped stem ginger, as the gently warming spice acts as a delicious foil for the nursery sweetness of the biscuits and the bitterness of the dark chocolate coating.

Made with honey and cream with added almonds and candied oranges, this preparation must be heated to 118°C, which allows it to brown very slightly when boiling without browning. The ingredients of the Florentine are rare, more expensive and much more sought after than those of an almond biscuit.

What do Florentine Cookies Taste Like? These delicate cookies have a buttery, nutty, caramel flavor. They're most crisp on the same day they're made; after that, they soften a bit and become slightly chewy.

To freeze: Bake according to the recipe but stop before adding decoration or icing if called for. Allow to cool completely. Wrap well in clingfilm and tin foil (to prevent freezer burn) and freeze for up to 3 months.

The Florentine steak is arguably Florence's most famous local dish, with very strict requirements to garner the prestigious label of bistecca alla Fiorentina.

What is Florentine sauce made of? ›

Florentine sauce is very simple to make. It is typically made with heavy cream, white wine, butter, garlic, Parmesan and fresh spinach.

In the culinary arts, the word Florentine (pronounced "FLOR-en-teen"), or the term à la Florentine, refers to a recipe that is prepared in the style of the Italian region of Florence. The easiest way to remember what it means is that a Florentine-style recipe features spinach.

We make our Florentines with caramel, honey and roasted almonds. Despite the name, you won't find them in a pasticceria in Florence – they were likely invented in the 17th century kitchens of French royals for their Italian in-laws.

All-purpose flour isn't ideal because the cookies will not spread or caramelize. Some readers have used coconut flour, but note that the taste and texture is off. I strongly recommend almond flour. Either 1 Tablespoon of milk or corn syrup works in this lace cookie recipe.

Shelf Life: Keep refrigerated. Up to 3 weeks shelf life when chilled.

What do Florentine Cookies Taste Like? These delicate cookies have a buttery, nutty, caramel flavor. They're most crisp on the same day they're made; after that, they soften a bit and become slightly chewy.

What makes pastry crispy? Some recipes use a 50:50 split of butter and lard, as lard gives the pastry a particularly crisp texture. However, using all butter helps the pastry to be, well, buttery!

To freeze: Bake according to the recipe but stop before adding decoration or icing if called for. Allow to cool completely. Wrap well in clingfilm and tin foil (to prevent freezer burn) and freeze for up to 3 months.