Thin Cookie Lovers Need To Try Duff Goldman's Italian Favorite

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With so many thick, chewy options to choose from, those who love a thin, crisp cookie might feel a little left out on the sweet treat aisle. But Duff Goldman has an Italian- and French-influenced recommendation: Florentine cookies. You know, the light and crispy cookies inspired by gold coins. According to Goldman, that fusion of flavor and chewy-yet-crunchy texture is hard to beat.

Florentines have a distinctive ingredients list: almonds, melted chocolate, and orange zest in a fragrant trio. Firing up a stovetop pan, he starts simple by adding butter, half-and-half, sugar, and honey. "The thing that my great grandma always told me — always, always — is that everything needs a little bit of salt," Goldman passionately relays while seasoning the mixture. He explains that a pinch of salt enhances flavor; it's a tried-and-true simple addition to make homemade cookies taste sweeter. 

After flavoring the mixture with vanilla and orange zest, he binds everything with flour and folds in flaked almonds. With water-splashed hands, Goldman presses the batter into neat circles, and voilà: oven time. The final shape is achieved with circular cutters (like this 5 Pieces Biscuit Cookie Cutter Set) and sandwiched together with delectable melted chocolate. It's a one-pan recipe, and deliciously quick and easy. 

There is no debating that Florentines are a fierce contender for the types of Italian cookies you'll want to bake. But when analyzing Goldman's approach, some elements clearly deviate from more well-trodden paths. The expert baker shares poignant tricks (like patting his hands with water and adding a pinch of salt) that stem from personal life experiences and intergenerational conversations.

Aside from these personalized touches, though, there's another intriguing theme: Goldman's stripped-back choice of ingredients. He adds honey, not corn syrup, and dark chocolate, rather than milk or white. Similarly, Goldman emphasizes the importance of salt while opting for unsalted butter — a clever strategy to achieve quantity control.

Compare that to Mary Berry's take on Italian Florentines, and the difference is stark. Berry doesn't specify whether unsalted or salted butter is best used, and adds golden syrup with candied, not fresh, orange peel. Jamie Oliver's recipe throws a modernized curveball with the addition of crème fraîche. Ultimately, everyone puts their own spin on things — including Goldman.