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Pine Nut Pistachio Cranberry Florentines with Chocolate Swirls
Pine Nut Pistachio Cranberry Florentines are crisp, chewy, chocolate-dipped treats filled with pine nuts, pistachios, dried cranberries, and orange zest. These homemade Florentines make beautiful holiday cookies, edible gifts, and festive dessert tray favourites.
Why You Will Love and Enjoy These Pine Nut Pistachio Cranberry Florentines
- Crisp edges with chewy centres make every bite interesting
- The orange zest cuts through the sweetness beautifully
- They look impressive on a dessert tray without being difficult to make
These Florentines vanished faster than expected, as those chocolate swirls make them extra hard to resist.
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Pine Nut Pistachio Cranberry Florentines
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 32 minutes
- Yield: 18–20 depending on size 1x
- Category: Cake Cupcakes Cookies and Tarts
- Method: Moderate Baking
- Cuisine: French
Description
These Pine Nut Pistachio Cranberry Florentines are crisp around the edges, chewy in the middle, and loaded with nuts, cranberries, and chocolate. They look fancy on a tray, but they’re actually pretty simple, just work quickly before the mixture starts setting.
Ingredients
- 200 g pine nuts
- 100 g pistachios, with 50 g lightly chopped
- 150 g craisins or dried cranberries
- 100 g plain flour
- 5 ml – 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 20 ml – 4 tsp orange zest
- 80 g butter
- 50 ml – 4 tbsp demerara sugar
- 50 ml – 4 tbsp corn syrup
- ±200 g milk or dark chocolate
- Optional: holly berry sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 320⁰F (160⁰C).
- Make sure your tray is fully lined because these spread quite a bit once baking starts.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the 200 g pine nuts, 100 g pistachios, 150 g craisins, 100 g plain flour, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, and 4 tsp orange zest. Toss everything together well so the flour coats the nuts and fruit evenly.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the 80 g butter, 4 tbsp demerara sugar, and 4 tbsp corn syrup.
- Stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, then let it come to a rolling boil for about 1 minute.
- Pour the hot butter mixture straight into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix immediately.
- The mixture thickens fast, so don’t overthink it, just keep folding until everything is coated and sticky.
- Scoop heaped tablespoons of mixture onto the prepared tray, leaving enough space between each one for spreading.
- I usually press them together lightly with my fingers so they don’t fall apart around the edges while baking.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the Florentines are a deep amber colour around the edges. If they still look pale in the centre, give them another minute or two.
- Remove the tray from the oven and let the Florentines cool for about 3 to 4 minutes.
- While they’re still slightly warm and pliable, use a 7.5 cm (3-inch) round cookie cutter to gently shape them into neat circles. You can also just nudge the edges in with a spoon or your hands if you prefer a more homemade look.
- Leave the Florentines on the tray until firm enough to lift without breaking, then transfer them upside down onto a wire rack.
- Melt the ±200 g milk or dark chocolate in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each burst until smooth.
- Spoon about 1 tsp melted chocolate onto the flat underside of each Florentine and spread it evenly.
- Use the back of the spoon or a fork to make little swirls or wave patterns in the chocolate.
- If using holly berry sprinkles, add them while the chocolate is still soft.
- Place the Florentines in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes or until the chocolate is fully set.
Notes
Prepared, tried, and tested by Esme Slabs: SA Tasty Recipes – Saffas Daily Recipes and EsmeSalon Homemade Recipes
Additional Information
- The shaping step could feel intimidating at first. Using a cutter is optional, and simply nudging the warm edges into shape works perfectly fine.
- Using pre-chopped pistachios saves time and cleanup. You can also melt the chocolate over a double boiler if you don’t like using the microwave.
- If baked too lightly, they can taste floury and soft instead of crisp. Colour matters more than exact baking time here.
- Look at this from a skeptical point of view. What wouldn’t land?
- If you were seeing this for the first time, what questions would you have?
- Can I use dried cranberries instead of craisins? Yes, both work well and taste nearly identical here.
- Do I have to use pine nuts? No, slivered almonds or chopped cashews also work if pine nuts are too pricey.
- Why did my Florentines spread too much? Usually, the mixture was too warm, or the tray was overcrowded.
- Can I skip the chocolate? You can, but the chocolate helps balance the sweetness and gives the classic Florentine finish.
Storage and Freezing
- Can this be frozen? Yes. Freeze the Florentines in a single layer first, then stack them between sheets of parchment paper in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
- How long can this be stored and how? Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. If your kitchen runs warm, keep them in the fridge so the chocolate stays firm.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Swap pistachios for almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts
- Use maple syrup instead of corn syrup if needed
- Milk chocolate gives a sweeter finish, while dark chocolate balances the sweetness better
- Fresh orange zest can be replaced with mandarin zest for a softer citrus flavour
Pine Nut Pistachio Cranberry Florentines are packed with chewy cranberries, crunchy nuts, and silky chocolate swirls. They look bakery-style but come together surprisingly easily.
Pine Nut Pistachio Cranberry Florentines are the kind of treat that feels impressive without requiring difficult baking techniques. The crisp caramelized edges, chewy cranberries, crunchy nuts, and smooth chocolate layer create a balance of texture and flavour that makes it hard to stop at one. They look beautiful on dessert trays, pair perfectly with coffee or tea, and bring just enough citrus freshness to keep them from feeling overly sweet.
A Florentine biscuit is a sweet pastry of nuts and fruit. Florentines are made of nuts and candied cherries mixed with sugar, melted together with butter and honey, and cooked in an oven.
What Is a Florentine Biscuit, and How Are These Delicate Cookies Made?
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These look absolutely delicious! I love pistachios, and the cranberries and pine nuts would be delicious in this, too. Pinning to save and share! Thank you for sharing this post with us at the Will Blog for Comments #84 linkup.
Thank you, Jennifer, for dropping in, yes we love the pine nuts, as they bring back childhood memories, from when we went out and picked them and cracked it.
These sound absolutely delicious!
Thank you, Joanne. You can make it any time of the year. I only played around with it and used the Christmas sprinkles, as that’s what I had available. Enjoy should you try it out.