Chocolate-Dipped Orange And Ginger Florentines

By á-174942

Ingredients

• SUGARED ORANGE PEEL:
• 3 oranges
• 1/2 cup sugar plus
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• COOKIES:
• 1/2 cup whipping cream plus
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup golden brown sugar - (firmly packed)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter - (1/4 stick)
• 2/3 cup lightly toasted sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons finely-chopped crystallized ginger
• 6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate chopped (or semisweet chocolate)

Preparation

Step 1

For Sugared Orange Peel: Remove peel from oranges (orange part only) in strips using vegetable table peeler. Finely chop enough peel to measure 2 teaspoons and set aside for cookie batter. Blanch remaining peel in small saucepan of boiling water 2 minutes. Drain. Return blanched orange peel strips to saucepan. Add 1/2 cup sugar and water and bring to boil, stirring frequently. Boil 5 minutes. Drain; reserve syrup for another use.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar on plate. Arrange orange peel strips atop sugar. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Let stand 15 minutes. Remove peel from sugar. Finely chop enough peel to measure 2 tablespoons; reserve remainder for another use.

For Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 heavy large cookie sheets with foil. Lightly butter foil.

Combine first 4 ingredients in heavy small saucepan. Cook over medium heat just until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Add 2 teaspoons minced unsugared peel, 2 tablespoons chopped sugared orange peel, almonds, flour and ginger. Bring mixture to boil, stirring frequently.

Drop 1 level tablespoon mixture (mixture will be runny) onto prepared cookie sheet. Repeat 5 more times, spacing cookies about 3 inches apart. Repeat procedure with second cookie sheet. Bake cookies until edges are pale golden, brown, about 8 minutes (cookies will spread).

Remove cookie sheets from oven. Using 3-inch round cookie cutter, push cookie sides in to reshape cookies into 3-inch rounds. Slide foil off sheets. Cool cookies on foil. Turn foil over. Carefully peel off cookies. Line same cookie sheets with new foil. Repeat with remaining batter.

Line 2 cookie sheets with foil. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from over water. Dip 1 cookie halfway into chocolate; shake off excess chocolate. Place cookie on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining cookies. Refrigerate until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

Remove cookies from foil. (Can be prepared 2 weeks ahead. Refrigerate in airtight container between sheets of waxed paper. Let cookies stand 20 minutes at room temperature before serving.)

This recipe yields 24 cookies.