Florentine Cookies

What You’ll Need To Make Florentine Cookies

You’ll need slivered almonds, butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, vanilla, flour, milk chocolate, and bittersweet chocolate. See the recipe card for precise measurements.

Step 1. Chop the almonds. Place the almonds in a food processor with the metal blade and pulse until finely chopped and crumb-like (between almond flour and very fine nuts; don’t let it turn pasty).

Step 2. Prep the Base. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Set over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the vanilla and flour until smooth, then stir in the chopped almonds with a spatula.

Step 3. Cool and portion. Remove from the heat and let sit 20 to 30 minutes to cool and thicken slightly. Drop 1½-teaspoon portions onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing about 3 inches apart (8 per sheet). Shape edges into neat rounds.

Pro Tip: Think “tiny.” It’s tempting to make bigger scoops, but small is the sweet spot—anything larger than 1½ teaspoons can turn into one giant cookie. If a cookie spreads unevenly while baking, use a spoon to nudge the edges back into a neater circle right as it comes out of the oven (you’ve got 10 to 15 seconds before it firms up).

Step 4. Bake and cool. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 11 minutes, until evenly golden with a butterscotch color. Slide the parchment onto the counter to cool. Once crisp, about 5 minutes, gently peel off and transfer to a rack. Repeat with remaining batter.

Pro Tip: For the most even results, bake one sheet at a time. These cookies are delicate and need steady heat to brown and spread evenly. If you really want to bake two sheets at once, you can, but be sure to rotate the pans and swap oven racks halfway through. And if you’re baking one at a time, use the downtime to prep and portion the next batch so it’s ready to slide in.

Step 5. Melt the chocolate. Place both chocolates in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, until ~75% melted, then stir until fully smooth (residual heat finishes the job).

Step 6. Sandwich the cookies and let set. When the cookies are completely cool, spread a thin layer of chocolate on the flat side of one cookie and press another on top, flat-side down. Repeat. Let sit until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes. They’re even better after a few hours or the next day, when they soften slightly to that crisp-but-not-brittle stage.

Pro Tips: Want perfectly even sandwiches? Match cookies in pairs before you start assembling—since each one spreads differently, this saves time, reduces breakage, and makes prettier sandwiches.