Gluten Free Florentines (Lacy Italian Cookies)

Ingredients

• 2 cups planter's sliced almonds, chopped
• 1 tablespoon rice flour
• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
• 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 8 ounces ghirardelli dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees positioning the rack in the center of the oven.

2. 2

   Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. 3

   In a medium bowl, mix almonds, flour and zest.

4. 4

   Heat a saucepan to medium heat and stir the sugar, butter, cream, and honey until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil and then remove from heat.

5. 5

   Stir in the almond mixture. Cool for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using 2 teaspoons of batter for each cookie (it will not seem like enough, but the cookies will spread while cooking), spoon 8 mounds of the batter onto the prepared baking sheet and flatten each one slightly with your finger.

6. 6

   Bake the cookies about 10 minutes until they are lacy (holes in them) and golden brown.

7. 7

   Slide parchment paper with cookies to a rack to cool completely. Then transfer the cookies to paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter.

8. 8

   FREEZING: Cool completely and put in an airtight container in your freezer for up to two months! (Imagine having your holiday cookies done in October!). Defrost before continuing with recipe.

9. 9

   SANDWICH COOKIES: Stir the chocolate in a double boiler (or bowl set over simmering water) until the chocolate melts. Spread the melted chocolate over the bottom of 1 cookie and then sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with the remaining cookies.