Introduction
This was a quick, relatively easy and fun recipe for a cool type of cookie. If you find hazelnut and chocolate delicious (and common combinations like Nutella), then you’ll definitely like this one. The recipe could perhaps use a bit more flair, but you also don’t need much more when hazelnut and chocolate are the stars.
Recipe Outline
| Recipe: Free-Form Hazelnut Florentines | Special Equipment: None |
| Source: What’s For Dessert | Time: 3 Hours |
| Author: Claire Saffitz | Difficulty: 2/5 |
| Type: Dessert (Baking) | Score: ★★★☆☆ |
Blanching the Hazelnuts
Tip: Blanch the hazelnuts as follows. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium or large pan. Once boiling, add 4 tbsp of baking soda (it will foam). Add the hazelnuts to the boiling water. Do not let the water boil over or boil too aggressively. Also have a medium bowl of ice/cold water ready. After three minutes carefully remove a single hazelnut and see if the skin is peeling off. If so, proceed. Otherwise, boil another minute and test again. Drain the hazelnuts into a colander. Place the hazelnuts in the cold water for 15 seconds and then drain into the colander again. Use paper towels to gently remove the skins from the hazelnuts.
Making the florentines
Tip 1: The hazelnuts need to be crushed relatively finely for the Florentine lattice texture to materialize, at the same time they shouldn’t be dust otherwise that will also prevent the texture from materializing. Aim for sizes that on average resemble a sesame seed, though it helps to have a variety of sizes (some a tad smaller and some larger, but nothing larger than the size of a lentil).
Tip 2: Baking in multiple batches as recommended is ideal even if it seems pointless based on the instructions. If you find your first batch isn’t forming the lattice shape due to not being pressed down thinly enough you can easily adjust on your second batch (whereas if you did both batches at once you couldn’t learn+adjust). The layer should quite thin (it’s a bit difficult to go too thin). The main impediment to being thin enough is not crushing the hazelnuts thin enough, as called out above. Regardless of whether the shape fully forms though, the end result tastes nearly the same.
Assembling the Florentines
Final Product
Key Takeaways
- Don’t fret too much over the exact lattice texture.
- Pay close attention throughout cooking and especially baking.
- Final Score: 3/5 – This is a great cookie and fun, quick dessert to make. They taste better after chilling and solidifying in the fridge (or even the freezer) for a bit.
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