Florentine Cups

Proper Italian florentines are thin lace cookies of caramel, nuts, and candied fruit, and these little cups borrow their spirit with a no-fuss twist. Crushed honey-almond cereal stands in for the traditional toasted nuts, and baking the mix in miniature muffin cups gives each bite that candy-crunchy snap typical of real florentines.

Orange zest is the ingredient that pushes these into florentine territory instead of just “granola bar bites." A teaspoon and a half in the base plus another hit in the icing gives the cookies that unmistakable Italian bakery fragrance.

Pressing the mixture firmly into each muffin cup is essential. Loose packing means the cups crumble when you try to release them. Use the back of a teaspoon or your thumb and really compact the mix against the cup wall.

Let them cool a full 15 minutes in the pan before loosening. They come out of the oven soft and only set up as they cool. Pull too early and they’ll collapse into rubble.

Honey and brown sugar melted together is old-school confectioner’s move; the honey keeps the finished cups from going rock-hard while the brown sugar provides caramel depth.

Drizzle with the orange icing once completely cool, or leave plain and dip half in melted chocolate for a more dramatic look.

Kitchen Tips

• Grease muffin cups aggressively; these are sticky little devils.
• Use kitchen scissors to chop the flake coconut finer if yours is in long strands.
• Store between parchment layers in an airtight tin; they soften in humid weather.
• Warm the honey slightly before measuring for easier pouring.

Variations

• Dip the bottoms in melted dark chocolate for classic florentine presentation.
• Swap raisins for dried cranberries or candied peel for more authentic florentine flavor.
• Add a tablespoon of sliced toasted almonds for extra crunch.