The first time I had these cookies was last Christmas when my husband ordered them from an online bakery after one of his friends suggested them. They might not look like anything spectacular, but I’m telling you, these cookies are addictive. They have a nutty, caramel flavor and when you add a drizzle of chocolate (or sandwich two of them together with chocolate), they will have you coming back for more…which may or may not be a good thing.
Anyway, after having them for the first time, I was on a mission to find the perfect recipe and make them myself.
I found this recipe on the Food Network and at first the only adaptation I made was to omit the orange zest. (I forgot to buy an orange…it worked out okay though, since I’m actually not a huge fan of the chocolate/orange flavor combo.)
Although the end result was melt-in-your-mouth amazing and lovely to look at as well, I had a major mishap while making these. I made the batter and let it sit to cool as instructed. Then when it was cool enough to handle, I went to scoop it and it was hard and crumbly! I scooped the batter into little crumbly balls and baked the first tray like that, thinking that perhaps it was how the batter was supposed to be.
It turns out I couldn’t have been more wrong…the cookies held their “ball” shape and didn’t flatten out or turn caramel colored. I have no idea what I could have done wrong, but it must have been something important! In an attempt to save the cookies I added water to the batter. I actually ended up adding quite a bit of water (I didn’t measure but I think it was around 1/3 cup), so that in the end the batter had a consistency like Cream of Wheat. I re-scooped the batter and baked the cookies and (very surprisingly!) they came out perfect.
Once the batter has been “saved” (by adding water), it will resemble Cream of Wheat porridge.
Compared to many cookie recipes, these are a bit more time-consuming to make, but they are definitely worth the work. They’re gorgeous. Delicate, thin, and crispy, with a nutty, caramel/butterscotch flavor…and the chocolate really makes the perfect addition!
- 1¾ cup (about 5 oz/140 g) sliced, blanched almonds
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ¾ cup (150 g) white sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup (see Note below)
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Water, as necessary to “save” the batter
- 2-4 oz (60-120 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F; line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a food processor, pulse the almonds until finely chopped, but not pasty. In a bowl, stir together the powdered almond, flour, and salt.
- In a small saucepan, add the sugar, cream, corn syrup, and butter and cook over medium heat (stirringly occasionally) until sugar is dissolved and it comes to a rolling boil; once boiling, continue to boil for 1 minute. Turn off heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the liquid sugar mixture into the dry almond mixture and stir to just combine. Set aside for 30 minutes or until cool enough to handle. (At this point I needed to add water so that the batter took on a “Cream of Wheat consistency”. The amount needed will vary, so you will have to use a bit of finesse; see the photo above for guidance.)
- Scoop scant teaspoonfuls (I used just over ½ teaspoon and it worked well…the cookies ended up being about 3 inches in diameter) of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 4 to 5 inches between each cookie because they spread out a lot.
- Bake one pan at a time (this is the Food Network’s recommendation), until the cookies are thin and an even golden brown color throughout, about 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the pan after 5 minutes. (Make sure that the cookies are browned throughout before removing them from the oven…otherwise they won’t have the desired crispy texture.)
- Once the cookies are out of the oven, slide the silicone mat or parchment paper off the baking sheet and allow the cookies to cool completely before removing from the parchment/silicone. Continue this way until the batter is gone.
- Melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave. You can drizzle the chocolate on top of the cookies or sandwich it between two cookies (don’t sandwich too much chocolate in between the cookies because it will ooze out). Allow the chocolate to set before storing.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Substitutions for Corn Syrup: You could probably use golden syrup or honey in place of corn syrup in this recipe.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Dawn says
December 10, 2009 at 8:30 amThese look wonderful! See in a situation like that where I would never think to just add water–I’d think they were ruined and probably throw all of the batter away! :( Good save!
A friend and I are baking our gifts for friends and coworkers this year…hopefully I can pull off something that looks at least half as delicious as all of your treats!
girlichef says
December 10, 2009 at 9:23 amHoly cow those are pretty!! I think I’d probably add the oj zest and omit the chocolate if I had to choose one ;) but either way…I definitely want to try these!
Mimi says
December 10, 2009 at 9:31 amSo beautiful and lacy. Thanks for the tip on rescuing the cookies batter, I wouldn’t have thrown it out, but just eaten it raw!
Mimi
Heavenly Housewife says
December 10, 2009 at 10:11 amAbsolutely beautiful. I am in awe of your baking talent.
Blond Duck says
December 10, 2009 at 11:07 amI can just see those with a ribbon strung through them hanging from a tree…just waiting for nibbling! :)
Nutmeg Nanny says
December 10, 2009 at 11:37 amThese are so beautiful! I love that you didn’t get frustrated with the batter. I would have probably cursed and then threw it all way….haha. I guess the water did the trick. I had cookies like this the other day and someone added little pieces of toffee and then filled them with chocolate to make little sandwiches. Awesome! Oh I also love that picture of you holding the cookie up. It’s so pretty :)
Karyn Bernard (French Charming) says
December 10, 2009 at 11:49 amThey are gorgeous! Love the photo of the one in front of the window, it beautifully showcases its lace detail! You are so clever for saving your batter! I will give this a try, thank you for another fabulous recipe sweet friend!!
grace says
December 10, 2009 at 12:15 pmthese are so thin and dainty and delicate! they’re the type of thing that i couldn’t resist cracking into with my teeth…again and again and again. :)
Krista says
December 10, 2009 at 12:20 pmGood save on the batch of cookies. It’s so annoying when something doesn’t work out and the ingredients have to be thrown away. Lace cookies are a fave of mine….so light and crisp!
Rosa says
December 10, 2009 at 1:14 pmThose are beautiful and ever so tempting! Nice way of saving those cookies…
Cheers,
Rosa
marla {Family Fresh Cooking} says
December 10, 2009 at 2:29 pmThese delicate cookies sound and look scrumptious!! Love all the photos! Thanks for sharing your baking mishap….glad to hear you didn’t have to dump the batter. Sometimes it is hard to get the timing right…but such a joy when you can fix! Need to try these.
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
December 10, 2009 at 6:36 pmHow cool Faith! I’ve never made these but I’ve eaten plenty (hey’re so moreish that lovely texture) so thankyou for the recipe! :D
Reeni says
December 10, 2009 at 8:10 pmThey look so fragile and delicate. I can’t remember ever eating these, although I’m sure I must have! They are really pretty and I would love to try them!
theUngourmet says
December 10, 2009 at 8:16 pmOh I’m so glad you were able to save your yummy cookies! I haven’t had these in ages! They look so delicious!
Barabara Bakes says
December 10, 2009 at 8:54 pmI have never had a Florentine Lace Cookie. They look fabulous, crispy and delicious!
Natasha - 5 Star Foodie says
December 10, 2009 at 9:07 pmThose look so delicate and pretty! Yum!
coco says
December 11, 2009 at 4:02 amthese are one of my favorite companion for coffee and tea! I used to order coffee after a meal in a restaurant just to get these! :D soooo good! you’re such a great cooker! :)
Barbara says
December 11, 2009 at 7:20 amGorgeous lacy cookies! And how clever of you to add the water to fix the recipe! Wouldn’t these be great with tea?
Chiara says
December 11, 2009 at 1:36 pmI don’t like the orange/chocolate combo either, so I think that the cookies are better off without the orange. They look amazing. You made my mouth water…
PS: the recipe for the oysters rockefeller is up!!
Jen says
December 11, 2009 at 2:35 pmI love it when mistakes work out! These cookies look delicious!
pigpigscorner says
December 11, 2009 at 2:51 pmwow they are beautiful! Love the sound of the texture..yum!
Christopher says
December 11, 2009 at 4:41 pmI just made a batch of these today, and I had the same problem with the batter settling too much, but I followed your instructions and they came out wonderful! Thanks!
admin says
December 15, 2009 at 7:15 amChristopher, I’m glad I’m not alone…I wonder why the batter does that! Anyway, I’m happy you liked these cookies! :)
Lois B says
December 22, 2009 at 8:47 amWhat beautiful photos of one of my favorite cookies. My sister-in-law rolls these around the handle of a wooden spoon while still warm and dips one end in melted chocolate. Very tempting whether flat or rolled!
Butch says
December 11, 2010 at 8:48 amI made these in much larger batches in a retail bake shop in NY, many years ago. They are fabulous and one of my favorites! Watch the bake time (may vary) and allow them to cool completly.
Crustabakes says
December 22, 2010 at 10:16 amI guess sometimes you do need to exercise your own judgement and not follow a recipe blindly. I have never made florentines before, yours look absolutely perfect
Terri Levine says
January 17, 2011 at 7:38 pmThank you for posting your comments about the consistency of the cookies. I followed the recipe and after 20 minutes, the dough was rock hard. I starting adding water and with some elbow grease it became the consistency of cream of wheat and when baked were very delicious. Thank you again for that tip. It stopped me from freaking out.
Jennifa says
November 6, 2012 at 3:01 pmThank you for this recipe i followed the recipe exactly..they laces came out delicious!!!!..perfect balance of sugar and almonds!…I think I’ve found the solution to the problem you had of the mixture drying out sou needed to add h20…… Instead of leaving the mixture to cool for thirty miutes..(this is what drys it out)…… I just used the mixture up straight away with out letting it cool because the mixture is still porridge consistency ….just be careful.I used 1/2 tsp of mixture to make my cookies
..I hope this helps..thank you again I love your blog!!..x
Christina says
December 7, 2012 at 10:27 pmI just searched the internet and chose your recipe (over Giada and Food Network recipes!) to give to one of my readers, because I can’t find the one I always make :) They look perfect and love that you give substitutions for the corn syrup! Looking forward to perusing the rest of your blog! CC
Faith says
December 7, 2012 at 11:07 pmChristina, You are so sweet, thanks so much for your kind words and for stopping by!
Tanya H. says
December 8, 2012 at 8:33 amSuch pretty and delicious treats, and a nice change up from my usual cookie exchange contribution. Thanks for the recipe.
PS…I made a double batch and had to add water to the dough several times as it took a long time to bake them one pan at a time. Worked perfectly. The dough is very forgiving.
Pauline Barraza says
March 25, 2018 at 12:42 pmI’ve only got roasted almonds. Can these be substituted in place of blanched?
Faith says
March 28, 2018 at 7:01 amPauline, I haven’t tried this recipe using roasted almonds, so I’m not sure. It might work, but I can see 2 potential issues: 1) Since the almonds are already roasted and will get toasted even more as these cookies bake, I wonder if they would get bitter (as almonds can do when they’re over-toasted). 2) I wonder if the oil content is different in roasted almonds vs. non-toasted almonds, and if so, how it might affect the batter. If you feel like experimenting, it might be fun to test though. If you try it, please let me know how it goes!
Ellen says
December 18, 2018 at 6:36 pmI just had the exact problem with the Food Network recipe about two hours ago.
The edges turned caramel color, but I had to flatten them with an offset spatula halfway through baking. I kept microwaving the batter/concrete as it cooled. The first time it helped, the second time, not so much. I’m thinking each “reheat” cooked the sugars. I never really got the perforated “lace” effect.
I am going to try this adapted version … as soon as I get more almonds.
There are some recipes which call for oatmeal, a cheaper alternative to almonds.
Sheila G. says
January 2, 2019 at 2:51 pmI made this cookie for the holiday and it was a big hit. I checked out the original recipe on Food Network and read the comments. This comment has an excellent insight into why the dough is dry and must be doctored: the original FN recipe poster meant to say “combine wet and dry, mix, and let dough sit for 30 SECONDS, not 30 minutes. (I’ll copy comment below). I let the dough rest for 30 seconds and was able to get the spoonfuls of dough on the sheets with no problem. Hope this helps and happy new year!
Food Network reader comment:
“Kara Synhorst1482 days ago
I was surprised that no one else mentioned the two problems I ran into. First, it says to pre-heat the oven, then make the boiled almond mixture, then let the mixture set for 30 minutes. I read between the lines and realized it meant 30 seconds, luckily. (When I let it sit for ten minutes or so to wait for a free oven rack before I made the next balls, it became a sold, completely unmalleable mass that I had to warm up again to use.) Then later, it says “halfway through baking time, 10 or 11 minutes.” I pulled the cookies out at 11 minutes, thinking it meant that was the whole baking time (I’m an English teacher, so trust me on the grammar). I realized they looked woefully underdone and put them back in. It wasn’t until later that I realized the cook time is 20 minutes. Or maybe I’m crazy, because other commenters thought they were done at 7 minutes. The recipe, in my opinion, could really use some clarity.
The finished cookies are fine, if not quite what I was hoping for.”