Florentine cookies are known for their lacy, caramelized texture and a combination of nutty, sweet, and sometimes fruity flavors. They are a popular choice for holiday baking and can be enjoyed as a delightful treat year-round.
A Tale of a Glittering Road and a Seriously Tasty Treat
Singapore at Christmas time is something to behold. I love to walk and experience the sparkling display of Christmas lights along Orchard road. A 1.9 mile / 3.1km stretch of road that is transformed over November and December into a glittering path.
One year, as I walked along the road, I smiled at the children holding candy and treats as they skipped alongside me. I passed Ferris wheels and ornately decorated Christmas trees, every branch laden with a decoration.
At one point, I stopped at the side of the road at a pop-up bakery. There, something caught my eye. It was a nutty-looking little treat. A cookie packed with seeds and dipped and drizzled in chocolate, my oh my. How could I resist?
I treated myself to my first Singaporean florentine cookie, and what a treat it was. I loved the fresh pop of orange amongst the nutty taste of almonds, pumpkin, and sesame seeds. The earthy nuttiness and sweet chocolate are always a good idea.
Ingredients for Singaporean Florentine Cookies
30g egg white/egg white from a large egg
50g / 1/3 cup powdered sugar
60g / ¾ cup sliced almonds
70g / 1 cup pumpkin seeds
10g / 1 TBS black sesame seeds
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp / Zest of half a fresh orange
Vegetable oil for brushing
50g white chocolate chips
Recipe for Singaporean Florentine cookies
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
Toast the almonds, sesame, and pumpkin seeds on a dry baking sheet for about 8 minutes or until they turn golden. Remove and set aside.
Lower the oven temperature to 300°F/150°C. Line the baking tray with paper and brush it with a little bit of vegetable oil to prevent the cookies from sticking.
Mix the egg white with the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Mix the two ingredients together with a fork until they’re frothy.
Mix in the rest of the ingredients and stir everything together lightly until combined. Ensure all the ingredients are coated well.
Using a tablespoon, scoop a portion of the mixture onto the lined baking sheet. Press the scooped mixture down with the back of the spoon and spread it out evenly. The diameter of the unbaked cookie should be about 3-inches / 7.6cm in diameter.
Spread all the cookies out this way onto prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper, ensuring there are gaps between each cookie. These cookies spread a little in the oven. Bake the biscuits in the oven for about 25 minutes or until they are golden brown. If the underside of the cookies is still pale, this is your cue to leave them in the oven a little longer. A silicone baking mat is excellent for these delicate cookies.
Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them onto a cooling rack. Before transferring them, you can use a biscuit cutter to trim them. Let the cookies cool completely on the rack.
The next step is optional but takes the cookie to a new level of pretty. Melt the white chocolate chips for 20-30 seconds in the microwave. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Stir the chocolate for a minute and then either drizzle the chocolate over the top to make a pretty pattern or dip one edge into the chocolate.
Storage and Reheating
This florentine recipe will last up to a month if stored in an airtight container. It’s not recommended that you keep them in the fridge. These cookies will soften after a few days. To crisp them back up, lay them back out on a baking sheet and bake them again at 300°F/150°C.
These gluten-free Christmas cookies will freeze for up to 2 months. If you’re going to freeze them, you’ll want to make sure you freeze them before decorating them with any chocolate.
What Is a Singaporean Florentine Cookie?
Florentine cookies are super popular in Singapore around special occasions. There is even a premix Florentine powder in Singapore to make florentine cookies. This particular Florentine recipe is a beautiful gluten-free Christmas cookie option. Pretty as a picture, these cookies are beautifully textured with pumpkin and sesame seeds.
In this recipe, you use sliced almonds rather than finely chopped almonds. Florentine lace cookies as they are known are pretty when decorated with white chocolate.
They have a lovely, nutty, sweet taste with a fresh orange flavor. Their texture is crisp and coated with white chocolate. Singaporeans will tell you that it’s a challenge not to finish an entire tray in one go.
This is a butter free cookie, hence you won’t see creaming steps or combine butter and sugar in the methodology. Vanilla extract is also left out as this cookies key flavors are the nuts and citrus.
How to Serve and Eat this nutty Florentine Recipe
These florentine cookies can be served up at New Year, Christmas, and any other special occasion. These cookies make a good snack and are often given to friends and neighbors as a gift.
Florentines are lovely cookies with various seeds and nuts, giving them a beautiful texture and color variation. They can therefore be served alongside desserts and cheeseboards. They are just as perfect next to a cup of steaming tea.
Variations and Substitutions of the Florentine Cookie
If you’re in the mood to play around a little with this recipe, here are some ideas:
Orange zest: switch this out for lemon or lime zest for a new flavor experience
Sesame seeds: both black and white sesame seeds are traditional. Go ahead and mix them or just choose one color.
Chocolate: I’ve used white chocolate in my recipe but milk or dark chocolate is usually used – go ahead and choose your favorite.
White or dark – it’s up to you!
Wrapping It Up
Grab a mixing bowl and get going with these super sweet and tasty florentine cookies. They are pretty and packed with the most delicious flavors.
Make up a batch for your neighbors or friends. Take them to a teacher at school or the person who serves you at your local grocery store. There is never a time to not offer a “thank you gift.” Christmas is always that time.
Beautiful when packaged up with some tissue paper inside a Christmas box. Some edible glitter. A little edible gold leaf. You know what I’m like…always looking for a way to throw in a little extra Christmas sparkle. You may choose to have them plain and simple. That’s okay too.
Singaporean Florentine Cookies
Ingredients
- 60 g sliced almonds
- 10 g black sesame seeds
- 70 g pumpkin seeds
- vegetable oil for brushing
- 30 g egg white
- 50 g powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp orange zest
- 50 g white chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F
- Toast the almonds, sesame, and pumpkin seeds on a dry baking sheet for about 8 minutes or until they turn golden. Remove and set aside.60 g sliced almonds, 10 g black sesame seeds, 70 g pumpkin seeds
- Lower the oven temperature to 300 °F. Line the baking tray with paper and brush it with a little bit of vegetable oil to prevent the cookies from sticking.vegetable oil
- Mix the egg white with the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Mix the two ingredients together with a fork until they’re frothy.30 g egg white, 50 g powdered sugar
- Mix in the rest of the ingredients and stir everything together lightly until combined. Ensure all the ingredients are coated well.1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp orange zest
- Using a tablespoon, scoop a portion of the mixture onto the lined baking sheet. Press the scooped mixture down with the back of the spoon and spread it out evenly. The diameter of the unbaked cookie should be about 3-inches / 7.6cm in diameter.
- Spread all the cookies out this way onto prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper, ensuring there are gaps between each cookie. These cookies spread a little in the oven. Bake the biscuits in the oven for about 25 minutes or until they are golden brown. If the underside of the cookies is still pale, this is your cue to leave them in the oven a little longer. A silicone baking mat is excellent for these delicate cookies.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them onto a cooling rack. Before transferring them, you can use a biscuit cutter to trim them. Let the cookies cool completely on the rack.
- The next step is optional but takes the cookie to a new level of pretty. Melt the white chocolate chips for 20-30 seconds in the microwave. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Stir the chocolate for a minute and then either drizzle the chocolate over the top to make a pretty pattern or dip one edge into the chocolate.50 g white chocolate chips