Florentine Cookies

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.

I must admit, I only know the florentine cookies from the supermarket, probably Swiss brand "Wernli". And even these, I had them very rarely and the last time I ate florentine cookies, I can't remember it. Some years ago.

I think this was really an easy challenge. There were some confusions about some ingredients and how to substitute them (this is just what I expected, this just happens when a Swiss uses preferably non-european recipes), as we don't have dark corn syrup (nor bright) here. People suggested to do some syrup with sugar, but I chose maple syrup. People wrote this wasn't a good substitute as it would be too sweet, but I reduced the sugar, or better: I didn't really use some.
Also, I have no idea what quick oats are and google couldn't really help me out, but I used "fine" oats.

I made half of the recipe, unsandwiched, but I only got about 15 cookies, not 2 1/2 dozen!

Also, it was the first time I made something out of oats, and it's even the first time I bought them. I often read about oats in cookies, but I really didn't know how good that was and how crispy the cookies get!
I added almonds and used dark chocolate, but for more, scroll down!
And, they are quite healthy!

I substituted a part of the oats with slivered almonds, as I thought: no florentine cookies without almonds, and I still had some in my freezer (leftover from the 6th of january Swiss king cake).
Instead of butter I took margarine, as (almost) always. I don't know why people are intending that doesn't work.
For the chocolate, I took dark oone (72 %). I started to love dark chocolate in the last few years, and, again, I think it's a lot healthier and I just don't like it too sweet.

So I had some cookies that were really not too sweet, which I like. I always try to "healthen up" recipes a bit, and I think my cookies are comparatively quite healthy.

My recipe (for the original recipe, the directions and of course the recipe for the panna cotta! Here.)

As stated, I made half of the original recipe and it yielded 15 cookies. Here I doubled the recipe back:

Florentine Cookies, adapted (yields 30 cookies)
1/2 cup	115 g	margarine
1 1/3 cup	100 g	fine wholemeal oats
	80 g	sliced almonds
1 tsp		honey
1/3 cup	40 g	whole wheat flour
1/4 cup	60 ml	maple syrup
1/4 cup	60 ml	milk
pinch of salt
	80 g	72% dark chocolate

For the instructions, look at the original recipe linked above.
My cookies had a diameter of 6 cm / 2.5 inches.
I baked them a longer, for about 10-12 minutes.

Then I tempered the chocolate:

1. Melt half of the chocolate over a bowl of hot water
2. Put the bowl away from heat and add the leftover chocolate, in small pieces, and let both melt together.
3. Place each cookie with one side in the bowl of molten chocolate until it is completely covered with chocolate (one one side), then take them out.
4. Let them cool, upside down, on a piece of parchment paper

Now, all cookies arecovered on one side with shiny, dark chocolate!

Please try the version with almonds, I think it makes it a lot more special and yummy!