Miniature Florentines

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons mild honey
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2/3 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fine-quality candied orange peel
• 8 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Boil sugar, butter, honey, and cream in a 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until creamy and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in almonds and orange peel (batter will be thin).

Drop level 1/2 teaspoons of batter about 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. (Batter will thicken as it cools; you may need to reheat for last few batches.) Bake in batches in middle of oven until golden brown and bubbly, 8 to 10 minutes. (Cookies will look runny at this point.)

Cool cookies on sheets on racks until firm enough to be lifted, about 2 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. (The cookies are very delicate; if they become too brittle to lift easily, return to oven to soften, about 1 minute.)

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, then remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat. Dip about 1/3 of each cookie into chocolate, then transfer to a parchment-lined tray. Let stand until chocolate is set, about 1 hour.

Cook's Note: Cookies keep, layered between sheets of waxed or parchment paper (do not overlap) and chilled in an airtight container, 1 week.