Florentiner à la Mama

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon almond extract 
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate 
• 2 cups blanched almonds and sliced
• 0.3 cup flour all-purpose
• 3 tablespoons cup heavy whipping cream 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup sugar 
• 0.5 cup butter unsalted

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• microwave
• candy thermometer

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a food processor, grind together 1 1/2 cups of the almonds, the flour, and the salt. You want a fine chop but you do not want topulverize the almonds into a flour or churn it into a paste; there should be some nice bits of almond still visible. Set aside in a bowl alongwith the remaining 1/2 cup of unchopped almonds.
3. In a saucepan over low heat, combine the sugar, honey, cream, and butter. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.
4. Raise the heat to medium-high and clip on a candy thermometer.
5. Heat the mixture to 235°F.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the almond mixture. Wait a minute for the batter to cool to the touch, and then stir in the almond extract.
7. While the batter is still warm and pliable, scoop it in teaspoons onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. I use a teaspoon scoop for 2-inch round cookies. Space the cookies a few inches apart because they’ll spread.
8. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Alternatively, press the batter into a heart-shaped cake mold sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
10. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are brown.
11. While the cookies cool, place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each session andcontinuing until the chocolate is completely melted.
12. Drizzle the chocolate over the cooled Florentiners. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to a week.