Florence Almond Cookies with Shortbread Base

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Chinese New Year baking is always extra special in my kitchen. Besides the usual pineapple tarts and butter cookies, I love adding something that looks elegant and tastes irresistible.

This Florence Almond Cookie is slightly different from the classic thin Florentine. It has a rich buttery shortbread base at the bottom, topped with crunchy caramelized almond flakes. The combination of crisp shortbread and crunchy nutty topping is simply too good to resist.

It looks delicate and bakery-style, but it’s actually quite manageable to make at home. I love this version of cookies. The bottom layer is rich, buttery, and slightly crumbly, like a classic melt-in-the-mouth shortbread.

The top layer is crunchy, nutty, and lightly caramelized with a beautiful golden color. The cornflakes add an extra crisp texture that makes every bite interesting and addictive. You get two textures in one bite. Soft, buttery base and crisp, caramelized topping. It’s sweet, but not overly heavy. Perfect with a cup of Chinese tea during festive visits.

INGREDIENTS

(Shortbread Base)

175g of butter (room temperature)

70g icing sugar

35g beaten egg

280g plain flour

½ tsp baking powder

Florence Topping

200g almond flakes

60g unsalted butter

60g sugar

50g honey or maltose syrup

35g whipping cream




METHOD

(Shortbread Base)

1.Cream butter and icing sugar until light and smooth.

2. Add egg and mix well.

3.Sift in plain flour and baking powder. Mix until soft dough forms.

4.Roll out the dough into the size of your pan (12” x 12”) between two pieces of parchment paper. Poke holes in the dough with a fork.

5.Place it into the fridge for 20 minutes. Bake the dough for at 200°C for 15 – 20 minutes or until lightly golden.

 

(Florence Topping)

1.In a saucepan, melt butter, sugar, honey, and whipped cream over low heat.

2.Turn to medium low heat, once bubbling slightly, turn off the heat.

3.Stir in almond flakes. Mix until the melted mixture thickens and well coated.

 

(Assemble & Final Bake)

1.Spread the topping evenly over the pre-baked shortbread base.

2.Return to oven and bake at 200°C for another 20 minutes, until golden brown.

3.Watch carefully. The topping can brown quickly.

4.Remove and let cool slightly.

5.Flip it over. Cut into squares while still warm.

6.Allow to cool completely to crisp up.

 

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