• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Bake Play Smile
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • Shop
  • About Me
    • Meet Lucy
    • Work With Me
  • Contact me
  • Recipes
  • Main Dishes
  • Savoury Breads & Muffins
  • Salads & Sides
  • Soups
  • Bars Brownies & Slices
  • Cakes & Cupcakes
  • Christmas
  • Cookies
  • Desserts
  • Easter
  • Drinks
  • Healthy Treats
  • Sweet Breads & Muffins
  • Thermomix Recipes
  • Thermomix Cookies
  • Thermomix Bars Brownies & Slices
  • Thermomix Cakes & Cupcakes
  • Thermomix Chistmas Recipes
  • Healthy Thermomix Recipes
  • Thermomix Desserts
  • Thermomix Breads & Muffins
  • Thermomix Easter Recipes
  • Thermomix Lunch Box Recipes
  • Thermomix Main Meals
  • Thermomix Sides & Salads
  • Thermomix Soups
  • Recipes for Toddlers & Kids
  • Family Dinners
  • Healthy Snacks
  • Kids Parties
  • Freebies
  • Lunch Box Ideas
  • Sweet Treats
  • Extras
  • Baking 101 - Tips & Tricks
  • Blogger Resources
  • Recipe Videos
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Thermomix Recipes
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Cookies » Florentine Biscuits

    Florentine Biscuits

    Published: Nov 16, 2022 by Lucy · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe
    Florentine biscuits made with Corn Flakes, flaked almonds and dried fruit, on a white background.

    You’ll love these crispy, chewy and buttery Florentine biscuits. Filled with dried fruit, flaked almonds and Corn Flakes for a crunchy Aussie twist, they are held together with sticky caramel and baked until golden and crisp. The finishing touch is dipping the bases in rich dark chocolate for the ultimate indulgence!

    Florentine biscuits arranged on a white table.

    Crunchy, chewy, buttery and sweet, these delectable Florentine cookies will become your new favourite biscuit recipe!

    What Are Florentine Biscuits (Or Cookies)?

    Florentine's are thin, sweet and crispy biscuits made with dried or candied fruits and nuts (usually flaked almonds), tossed through a sticky caramel mix. Baked until golden and crisp, they are then cooled and dipped or drizzled with melted chocolate for the perfect finishing touch.

    When made flat and thin, Florentine biscuits are sometimes called ‘lace cookies’ for their delicate see-through appearance. However, my version is a little thicker, chewy and chunky, with the addition of Corn Flakes for a little Aussie flair. Corn Flakes add extra crunch and flavour and when combined with the buttery caramel - they taste absolutely divine!

    Florentine biscuits come together quickly and easily and there’s no special equipment needed to make them. Their nutty and caramel flavours make them impossible to resist and their shelf-life makes them great for gifting during the holidays!

    Looking for more scrumptious biscuit recipes? Try these Chocolate Chip Cornflake Cookies, Almond and Choc Chip ANZAC biscuits, or simple Twix Cookies!

    Why You're Going To Love This Recipe

    • Quick and easy to make – no mixers, no resting time required. A simple mix and bake recipe that requires only 10 minutes of prep time.
    • Easy ingredients – a handful of simple pantry staples including cereal, sugar and dried fruits.
    • They’re so good! Crispy, chewy and sweet with a nutty-caramel flavour that you will find hard to resist!
    • Suitable for any occasion – Florentine biscuits are perfect for bake sales, for gifting over the holidays or to enjoy yourself at home with a cuppa.
    • Conventional and Thermomix - this recipe can be made conventionally or in a Thermomix. You will find both the conventional and Thermomix methods in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
    Cookies made with Corn Flakes and dipped in dark chocolate.

    What You Need

    Whilst Florentine's look quite decadent, they are made with simple ingredients and take little time to prepare and bake - ready in less than half an hour!

    All ingredients for biscuits, laid out in individual bowls on a table.
    • Butter – use regular, unsalted butter. Real butter helps to set and hold the Florentines together, so I don’t recommend swapping it for dairy blends or margarine.
    • Caster sugar – also called superfine sugar. Caster sugar forms the caramel syrup that binds the cookies together and adds sweetness.
    • Honey – for flavour and to bind ingredients together. Alternatively, rice malt syrup or golden syrup can be used.
    • Plain flour – just a tablespoon required to form the thin batter mix.
    • Corn Flakes – (also called Cornflakes) are a breakfast cereal made by toasting flakes of corn (maize). While usually enjoyed with milk, they also make a great addition to baked treats like biscuits and honey joys. When baked, they become extra crispy and crunchy, which is what we want these biscuits to be! I recommend Kellogg’s Cornflakes, but any similar generic brand can be used.
    • Flaked almonds – almonds that have been blanched and shaved into thin flakes. They can be found in supermarkets, grocers and health stores.
    • Fruit – a mix of sultanas, glace cherries and orange zest for flavour and chewy texture. Dried apricots or cranberries could also be used.
    • Chocolate – for the best balance of flavour, use dark chocolate - 45% cocoa and above work great! Milk chocolate can also be used if preferred. Whichever chocolate you choose, make sure it’s a good quality one that you like to eat!
    Cornflake and flaked almond cookies with dark chocolate bases on a white background.

    Equipment Required

    A large, microwave-safe bowl is required to melt the caramel mixture and then combine the remaining ingredients.

    2 flat baking trays are used to bake the biscuits. Alternatively, they can be made in muffin tins (and this helps them to keep their shape). If you make them in a muffin tin, the bases will need to be lined with a little baking paper and oil spray to prevent sticking.

    A 10cm cookie cutter or egg ring is recommended to help shape the biscuits, but this is not essential.

    This recipe can also be made in a Thermomix.

    Step by Step Instructions

    These delicate yet crunchy Florentine biscuits make a beautiful gift to surprise someone with!

    Note: Please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for ingredient quantities and the full detailed method.

    Step 1 - Make The Caramel

    Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line 2 baking trays.

    Place the butter, caster sugar, honey and flour in a large microwave-safe bowl.

    A bowl with flour, butter, honey and sugar.

    Heat gently in the microwave (on 50% power) until the sugar has started to dissolve.

    *This step can also be completed in a saucepan or Thermomix.

    Melted butter and honey mixture in a glass bowl.

    Step 2 - Make The Biscuit Batter

    Add the Corn Flakes, flaked almonds, glace cherries, sultanas and orange zest.

    Ingredients, including Corn Flakes, flaked almonds and sultana's in a glass bowl.

    Mix gently until ingredients are well combined.

    Florentine biscuit mixture in a glass bowl.

    Step 3 - Bake

    Spray a 10cm round cutter with a light coating of oil spray. This helps to prevent sticking and the mixture spilling.

    Using the cutter as a guide, add a tablespoon of mixture at a time to the lined trays, until you have 12 biscuits - 6 on each tray.

    ** Be sure to leave space between each biscuit, as they will spread!

    Six spoonfuls of cookie mixture on a lined baking tray, with a cookie cutter used to shape one biscuit.

    Bake until the biscuits are lightly golden (keep an eye on them so they don't overcook and become too brittle).

    Allow the biscuits to cool completely on the tray and then dip the bases into melted dark chocolate.

    Florentines coated with melted dark chocolate on a baking tray.

    Expert Tips

    • Florentine biscuits will seem soft and loose when they first come out of the oven, but they will harden and set as they cool.
    • Careful measuring/weighing of the ingredients is important for success.
    • Florentine's spread as they bake. Be sure to allow enough space in between each one so that they don’t merge together in the oven.
    • If you want your Florentine biscuits to be evenly shaped, you can also bake them in a muffin tin lined with a little baking paper and a coating of light oil spray.
    • Don’t overcook them. Keep a close eye on them around the 13-minute mark. We want them to be light-golden in colour and firm with a crunchy ‘snap’, but overbaking them will either burn them or make them too hard and brittle.
    • If they spread too much on the tray, you can correct this by using the cookie cutter to gently shape them back into a circular shape while they're still hot.
    • Be sure to use baking paper to line your tray, or your biscuits will stick!
    • Use real butter rather than margarine or dairy blends for Florentine biscuits. Butter substitutions won’t brown or set as nicely.

    FAQ's

    How to store Florentines

    Store the cooled biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature in a cupboard or a cool, dry place. While best eaten in the first 1-2 days, they will keep this way for 1-2 weeks. If storing them in a small container, separate any layers with baking paper to prevent sticking.

    Can you freeze Florentine biscuits?

    Florentine biscuits can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month. They will only take a few minutes to defrost and be ready to eat!
    Note: the Corn Flakes will soften slightly on defrosting.

    An overhead shot of golden sticky biscuits on a white background.

    Related Recipes

    Looking for more simple and delicious cookies or biscuits? These recipes are for you!

    • A blue and white spotted plate with three ANZAC biscuits on top.
      Chewy ANZAC Biscuits | Easy Recipe
    • Golden biscuits piled on a white cake tray
      4 Ingredient Hokey Pokey Biscuits
    • A stack of honey biscuits on a white plate.
      Honey Biscuits
    • Afghans Chocolate Cornflake Biscuits
      Afghans | Chocolate Cornflake Biscuits
    An overhead shot of a corn flake florentine biscuit.

    Florentine Biscuits

    You’ll love these crispy, chewy and buttery Florentine biscuits. Filled with dried fruit, flaked almonds and Corn Flakes for a crunchy Aussie twist, they are held together with sticky caramel and baked until golden and crisp.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: sweets
    Cuisine: Biscuits/Cookies
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    0 minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 12 biscuits
    Calories: 158kcal
    Author: Lucy - Bake Play Smile

    Ingredients

    • 50 g butter
    • 55 g (¼ cup) caster sugar
    • 1 tbsp honey or rice malt syrup/golden syrup
    • 1 tbsp plain flour
    • 20 g (¾ cup) Corn Flakes
    • 65 g (¾ cup) flaked almonds
    • 50 g (¼ cup) glace cherries quartered
    • 40 g (¼ cup) sultanas
    • 1 tsp orange zest
    • 100 g chocolate dark or milk, melted

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Line 2 flat baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
    • Place the butter, caster sugar, honey and flour into a microwave-safe bowl. Cook on 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds, until the butter has melted and the sugar has started to dissolve.
      Alternatively you can use a saucepan and stovetop for this step.
      If using a Thermomix - melt the ingredients for 3 minutes, 60 degrees, Speed 2 (or until melted).
    • Add the Corn Flakes, flaked almonds, glace cherries, sultanas and orange zest and mix until well combined.
      If using a Thermomix - add the Corn Flakes, flaked almonds, glace cherries, sultanas and orange zest and mix on Reverse, Speed 1 until combined (using the spatula to help mix).
    • Spray a small 10cm round cutter with cooking spray to avoid sticking. Place the cutter onto the baking tray and add a large tablespoon of the mixture. Spread out. Carefully remove the cutter and repeat with the remaining mixture.
      Note: if you don't have a cutter, you can simply place spoonfuls of mixture directly onto the baking tray.
    • Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Set aside to cool completely (the biscuits will harden as they cool).
    • Once cooled, spread the melted chocolate onto the base of the biscuits and place into the fridge to set.

    Notes

    RECIPE NOTES & TIPS:
    • The Florentines will seem soft and loose when they first come out of the oven, but they will harden and set as they cool.
    • Careful measuring/weighing of the ingredients is important for success.
    • Florentine biscuits spread as they bake. So be sure to allow enough space in between each one so that they don’t merge together in the oven.
    • If you want your biscuits to be evenly shaped, you can also bake them in a muffin tin lined with a little baking paper and a coating of light oil spray.
    • Don’t overcook them. Keep a close eye on them around the 13-minute mark. We want them to be firm with a crunchy ‘snap’, but overbaking them will either burn them or make them too hard and brittle.
    • If they spread too much on the tray, you can fix them by using the cookie cutter to gently shape them while hot.
    • Be sure to use baking paper to line your tray, or your biscuits will stick!
    • Use real butter rather than margarine or dairy blends. Butter substitutions won’t brown or set as nicely.
    • Storage - store the cooled biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool, dry place. While best eaten in the first 1-2 days, they will keep this way for 1-2 weeks. If storing them in a small container, separate any layers with baking paper to prevent sticking.
    • Freezing - Florentine biscuits can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month. They will only take a few minutes to defrost, however the cornflakes will have softened after freezing.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 135IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you try this recipe?Mention @BakePlaySmileBlog or tag #BakePlaySmile!
    « Caramilk Cheesecake Balls
    Thermomix Tzatziki Dip »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    I’m Lucy! A mum, a wife, a food blogger and a lover of all things to do with food! I love creating delicious, no-fuss Thermomix and conventional recipes the whole family will love. Classic baking favourites, lunch box snacks, quick and easy family dinners and more!

    More about me →

    Popular Kids Recipes

    • A bowl filled with malted milk and coconut balls.
      Milo Balls | 4 Ingredient Recipe
    • Introducing the famous 100 Cookie Recipe made with just 4 ingredients... butter, caster sugar, condensed milk and self-raising flour. This freezer-friendly cookie dough can be flavoured with any add-ins you like!
      The Famous 100 Cookie Recipe | Condensed Milk Cookies
    • Our classic banana muffin recipe bakes perfectly soft and moist muffins that are ready in less than 30 minutes! A super easy recipe that's great for lunch boxes.
      Easy Banana Muffins
    • Raspberry cheesecake jelly slice on a white cake stand.
      Easy Jelly Slice
    • A stack of chocolate chip biscuits.
      The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • A quick and easy classic dark chocolate hedgehog slice made with crushed biscuits, walnuts, coconut and condensed milk... the perfect melt and mix slice!
      Chocolate Hedgehog Slice | No-Bake

    BBQ Favourites

    • Golden chicken rissoles on a plate with salad in the background.
      Chicken Rissoles
    • A hand lifting up a piece of creamy spinach cob loaf dip with crusty bread.
      Spinach Cob Loaf
    • An overhead shot of creamy dip.
      Cream Cheese Dip
    • A beef rissole on a fork in front of rocket and sauce.
      Beef Rissoles
    Names of brands that Bake Play Smile has had recipes featured in.

    Summer Salads

    • An overhead shot of a broccoli salad with bacon, almonds, cranberries and a creamy dressing.
      Creamy Broccoli Salad With Bacon
    • A bowl of cabbage salad with noodles.
      Chang's Crispy Noodle Salad
    • A rectangular serving dish filled with a pomegranate and yoghurt salad.
      Cypriot Grain Salad | Chef Recipe
    • A white plate topped with chopped potatoes, egg, bacon and spring onions.
      Creamy Bacon, Egg & Potato Salad

    Thermomix Cookbooks

    Browse our range of Thermomix cookbooks.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Work With Me
    • Accessibility
    • Terms Of Use

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Shop the store

    Copyright © 2021 Bake Play Smile

     
    Manage Cookie Consent
    To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
    Functional Always active
    The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
    Preferences
    The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
    Statistics
    The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
    Marketing
    The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
    Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
    View preferences
    {title} {title} {title}