Sesame Florentines

sesame florentines

adapted from https://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/sesame-florentines

(original recipe by Francois Payard)

makes about 24

Beware!  I advise you to make these only when you have several other people around to eat them. It is very difficult to stop just at just a few unless you know you have to share. They are a kind of cookie, but very distinctive—and simple to make. Click on the link above to see a photo.

3-1/2 T. unsalted butter

1 T. honey

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1/2 cup sliced almonds, coarsely chopped

1 T. sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 375. Heavily spray mini muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray.

Melt the butter and honey in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar, almonds, and sesame seeds.

Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the mixture into each mini muffin cup. (No need to worry if the batter isn't flat in the cup—it will even out when baking.)  Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the florentines turn light golden brown. (Original recipe said 15 minutes, but mine were a bit charred after that long, so I've shortened the time.)

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly—about 5 minutes (florentines are still warm, but firmed up a bit).  Loosen the florentines with the tip of a sharp knife.  (If you've let them cool too long and have difficulty getting them loose, you can put the pan back in the oven for about a minute.) Place a sheet of waxed paper on your work surface, turn the pan over and tap out the florentines. Transfer to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.  You can store them in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, placing waxed or parchment paper between the layers to prevent sticking.  But really, there's no way these will last two weeks without being eaten!!

My new favorite cookie--Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

When it comes to baking cookies, I usually go for simple rather than complicated.  Bar or drop cookies rather than rolled or shaped, and if the dough uses melted butter, all the easier.  You can see some of my favorites here:  toffee bars, ginger snaps with white chocolate, chocolate chip oatmeal coconut, and meringue with nuts and chocolate chips.  But I was recently tempted by a recipe for chocolate gingerbread cookies--a little more trouble, but definitely worth it! A sophisticated taste, but I'm guessing kids would like them also.

CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD COOKIES

adapted from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chocolate_gingerbread_cookies/

yield: 3 dozen cookies

Note:  The dough for these cookies needs to be refrigerated overnight (or for at least several hours).

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1-1/2 t. ground ginger

3/4 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. black pepper

1/4 t. ground cloves

1/4 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 cup dark, full, or robust molasses (NOT "blackstrap")

1 T. fresh grated ginger

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 T. Dutch-processed cocoa

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

about 1/4 c. white granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies

Cream the butter, then add in brown sugar, spices, salt, and baking soda. Cream all together until they form a uniform colored paste.

Add the molasses and fresh grated ginger and beat to incorporate.  Add the flour and cocoa, beating until there are no streaks of flour.  Stir in the chocolate chips and mix until they are evenly distributed through the dough. The dough will be soft and sticky.

Scrape the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap.  Flatten the dough into a rough rectangle, about 1-inch thick, then tightly wrap with the plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough overnight (or at least several hours).

Preheat the oven to 325.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Put the granulated sugar into a small bowl (for rolling balls of dough). Cut the flattened slab of dough into 1-inch cubes. Roll each cube into a ball between your palms, then roll the ball in the sugar to coat.  Transfer to the baking sheets, placing no more than 20 cookies on a large sheet, as the cookies will spread. I bake one sheet at a time. While one sheet is baking, I form the other cookies, putting them on a parchment-lined plate in the refrigerator to keep chilled while the first batch is baking.

Bake the cookies for about 14 minutes, or until the top of the cookies have started to crack slightly.  Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Toffee bars

I recently had these toffee bars at my friend Susan's house, and I made sure to take the recipe home with me--these are delicious, and extremely simple to make.  I am always happy to find a cookie or cake recipe that starts out with melted butter rather than having to beat the butter until soft--so much easier.  I made these last night for the Oneg Shabbat at Temple, and they disappeared quickly.  Next time I'll make a double batch!

TOFFEE BARS

adapted from Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies

Shortbread

8 T. unsalted butter

1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar (either light or dark sugar is fine)

1 t. vanilla

1/8 t. salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

Topping

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, or 6 oz. semi-sweet or dark chocolate cut into small pieces

1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans (or almonds or walnuts)

Use 8-inch square pan, lined on the bottom and all 4 sides with parchment paper (foil might work also).  Toast the nuts in a sauté pan for a few minutes, or in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

BASE:  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.  Remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar, vanilla, and salt.  Add the flour and mix until just incorporated. Press the dough into the bottom of the baking pan.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until well-browned at the edges and golden brown in the center. 

topping:  Sprinkle the hot crust with the chocolate and return to the oven for 1-2 minutes, or just until the chocolate softens.  Remove the pan from the oven and spread the chocolate evenly with the back of a spoon.  Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate and press them down gently into the chocolate.  Set on a rack to cool.  Lift the edges of the liner to transfer to a cutting board.  Use a sharp knife to cut into 16 or more squares.