Low Stakes Crispy Lemon-Almond Florentines
Embrace this intentionally crispy cookie that uses a super small range of equipment and a short list of ingredients
I’m usually after a super soft or pleasantly chewy cookie but lest we forget the merits of a crispy florentine! These sun-kissed crunchy treats are the cookie equivalent of getting a tan by lounging in the piazza, iced espresso in hand, and gazing at the palazzo for too long. Also very good with an afternoon / evening / breakfast gelato.
Makes about 15 cookies.
Pair with coffee: The bright lemon zest and nutty almond in these cookies would do well alongside a bright, light roast coffee with nutty and/or chocolate-y notes. Try one of my favourite coffees ever ever, Quietly’s “Allie & Lennie” — thoughtful writing on the coffee here, and additional retailers here and here.
120 g unsalted butter
100 g light brown sugar
60 g agave syrup
150 g sliced almonds
100 g all-purpose flour
Zest from 1 lemon (about 6 g)
Big pinch of kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 350° (go for 325° if your oven runs hot) and line a 16 x 22-inch baking sheet (or two 14 x 18-inch baking sheets) with parchment paper.
In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, and agave and microwave on low until the butter is just barely fully melted (alternatively you can heat them on the stove in a small saucepan over low heat). Remove the bowl (or saucepan) and stir to incorporate. I lazily used a nearby dessert fork but you can use a whisk or a spatula.
Stir in the almonds, flour, lemon zest, and salt.
Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon, portion the cookies out onto the prepared baking sheet(s), about 3-inches apart. With dampened (and clean, lol) fingers, gently flatten each cookie a bit, but not too much as the edges of these cookies burn easily.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden. Stay nearby and start checking around the 8 minute mark for these ones, as they are a little delicate — just like us all.
Note: If you’re using two sheets and baking at the same time, swap them halfway through the bake. You may have to bake them for a few minutes more as you let heat out of the oven during the swap, and the lower sheet blocks some of the heat from moving around.
These also benefit from what I call cookie doctoring — if they start to widen out too much during the bake use a spatula to gently encourage them back together.
What to do with leftover ingredients?
Lemon (now sans zest):
Slice into ¼-thick wheels and dehydrate them to use as beverage garnishes! Place on a cooking rack and bake at your oven’s lowest temperature for about 4 hours, rotating the rack halfway through.