These cookies are a perfect gift for your sweetheart. The cranberries and dark chocolate combine to create a deliciously rich cookie.
Cranberry Florentine Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup honey
- 3/4 cup castor sugar (extra fine sugar)
- 2 Tbs butter
- 2 cups almonds, slivered
- 1 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
- 1 cup candied orange peel, chopped
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
- 1 pound dark chocolate (use real chocolate), chopped or chips
- oil
- silicone cookie pad or parchment paper
Directions
- Combine the honey, sugar, and butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Cook until the honey-sugar mixture until the temperature reaches 238° F. (the soft-ball stage) on a candy thermometer.
- While the honey-sugar mixture is cooking combine the almonds, cranberries, orange peel, flour, cloves, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
- Pour the honey-sugar mixture over the nuts and cranberries, stirring to mix thoroughly.
- Coat your hands with oil before handing the cookie batter (this prevents the batter from sticking to your hands).
- When it is cool enough to handle, form the cookie mixture into 1" balls.
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with a silicone cookie pad or parchment paper.
- Flatten the cookies with the palm of your hand.
- Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes or until they bubble on top.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool.
- Melt the dark chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
- Stir the chocolate until smooth.
- Dip the back of each cooled cookie in the chocolate.
- Place the cookies, chocolate side up to cool until the chocolate is hardened.
- Store the cookies between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container.
Note: Here is a great description of the soft ball stage of candy making. The Science of Cooking site has an excellent online video that shows the soft ball stage in candy making.
