NYE cookies

Our friends Jen and Charlie had a bunch of people over to celebrate NYE. I told them I would bring a few things to munch on, but these were the only things I got a picture of :) These are very thin and crispy cookies. I wasn't sure how they would go over at the party, but they were gone by the end of the night, so either people were too drunk to realize they didn't like them or they liked them :) The cookies are delicate and have a hint of orange flavor. I liked that they were unique and I plan to make them again soon!

Florentine Cookies

Adapted from The Food Network.

Made vegan and without corn syrup.Yields 3-4 dozen

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups sliced almonds

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tbsp finely grated orange zest (from one small orange)

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp non-dairy milk- I used regular milk

2 tbsp brown rice syrup or light corn syrup- I used light corn syrup

5 tbsp nonhydrogenated margarine- I used regular butter

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 oz. semisweet vegan chocolate- Once again, I used regular chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and make sure you have a rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.2. Pulse the almonds in the food processor until very finely chopped, but don’t let them form a paste. In a mixing bowl, stir together almonds, flour, and zest.3. Put the milk, sugar, and margarine in a saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Sugar should dissolve fully. Let the mixture boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla.4. Pour the sugar mixture over the almond mixture and stir until combined. Set aside for 30 minutes, until cool enough to handle.5. Using a teaspoon or half-tablespoon measure, spoon rounded balls of dough onto a cookie sheet. Leave plenty of space between each cookie, making 6 cookies per sheet.6. Bake for 10 minutes, rotating half way through to ensure even baking. Remove from the oven when cookies have fully spread and are slightly golden. Cool on the pan for 3-5 minutes, until they are firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack, using a thin offset spatula. Repeat with the remaining batter.7. Put the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring between each burst, until fully melted. Using a knife, drizzle the baked cookies with chocolate. Let the chocolate set up before serving.

Note: Store refrigerated in an airtight container, for up to 1 week.