Florentine Almond Cookies

[Recipes Index] [World of Chefs]

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup honey
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 pound slivered blanched almonds
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons Amaretto
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a heavy saucepan, combine the butter, honey, sugar and cream. Cook over medium heat and bring the ingredients to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute only, remove from heat and stir in the almonds.

Grease two dozen individual miniature tartlet pans or a large baking pan with butter. Pour the mixture. Bake for approximately 10 to 12 minutes or until golden in color. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans. Place the pans in the freezer for five minutes. Remove from the freezer, turn the pans upside down and release the cookies. Tap on the back of the pans if necessary. Break the cookies apart into the size you want.

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a glass pyrex bowl set over a pot of simmering water but make sure the double boiler or glass bowl does not touch the water. Add the Amaretto and the cream and mix thoroughly. Spread the chocolate mixture on top of the cookies, and serve.