Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes Florentine Cookies 3.0 (58) Add your rating & review By Martha Stewart Test Kitchen Martha Stewart Test Kitchen The recipes developed by our test kitchen team have undergone a rigorous process of development and testing, ensuring that every element is optimal, from ingredient amounts to method and cooking time. This process includes triple-testing recipes to ensure they meet our high standards. The many stellar cooks and food editors who have been part of our team include Sarah Carey, Lucinda Scala Quinn, Jennifer Aaronson, Shira Bocar, Anna Kovel, Greg Lofts, Riley Wofford, Lauren Tyrell, and Lindsay Leopold. Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 6, 2020 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Yield: 3 dozen A combination of nuts and dried fruits with a rich chocolate coating makes these cookies, from Gramercy Tavern pastry chef Claudia Fleming, a delectable holiday treat. Ingredients ¾ cup honey ¾ cup sugar 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 cup almonds, finely chopped 1 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped 1 cup dried sour cherries, chopped ½ cup dried apricots, chopped 1 cup candied orange peel, chopped ½ cup all-purpose flour Pinch of ground cloves ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg Pinch of white pepper Vegetable shortening, melted and cooled 1 pound best-quality bittersweet chocolate, such as Callebaut or Valrhona, chopped Directions Heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine honey, sugar, and butter in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the temperature reaches 238 degrees (the soft-ball stage) on a candy thermometer. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine nuts, dried fruit, flour, and spices. Pour honey-sugar mixture over contents in large bowl, stirring with a wooden spoon to combine. When cool enough to handle, form into 1-inch balls with hands coated with vegetable shortening to prevent sticking. Place on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat mat or parchment paper, and flatten into balls with the palm of your hand. Bake until bubbled on top, about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate: In the top of a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stir chocolate with a spatula until smooth. Working quickly, using a small offset spatula, spread a thick layer of chocolate on the back of each cooled cookie. Place cookies, chocolate side up, on a wire rack until chocolate is hardened. Store between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container. Cook's Notes To toast hazelnuts, roast them in a 350-degree oven just until you smell a toasted aroma. Then, rub the skins off with a tea towel. Rate it Print