Florentines

makes 30 cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour (or all-purpose gluten-free flour)

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

3/4 cup almond flour (made from blanched almonds)

2 tablespoons organic 1% milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon finely grated blood orange zest

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper and set aside.

2. Melt the butter in a small sauce pot over medium heat. Add in the sugar, flour, and salt and whisk to combine. Continue whisking until the butter fully incorporates into the batter, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the almond flour and milk, and continue to cook until smooth and slightly thickened.

3. Remove the sauce pot from the heat and stir in the almond extract and orange zest. Let the batter cool for 10 minutes.

4. Drop the batter in rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepped baking sheet, leaving about three inches between cookies. (I cooked 6 cookies per batch.)

5. Bake the cookies for 5-7 minutes (rotating the baking sheet half-way through), or until the cookies turn golden brown around the edges.

6. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet until they set, about 3 minutes. Use a thin spatula to carefully remove the cookies from the baking sheet and set on a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining batter.

7. After the cookies have completely cooled, use an offset spatula to spread a layer of melted chocolate on the bottom of each cookie. (Be careful! And patient! The cookies are very delicate.) Let sit or refrigerate until the chocolate has completely set. The cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.