The Martha Challenge: Spiderweb Florentines
It's time for my second installment of my monthly "Martha Challenge" where I choose 4 things out of the current issue of Martha Stewart Living to do and write about here (check out the September issue challenge HERE). This month I thought that I would break it into 4 separate posts so you can follow along throughout the week. First, we start with something sweet because who doesn't like dessert first?
These Spiderweb Florentines were so beautiful in the magazine; I was totally inspired to make them. They are made with a very small amount of ingredients and they end up being incredibly thin. The flavor and crunch of these cookies remind me of peanut brittle—sweet and salty with a nutty caramelized flavor. They are perfect for fall and the chocolate spider web decoration makes them a halloween show-stopper.
When they came out of the oven I thought this would be a TOTAL FAILURE post. The recipe says to place the cookies two to three inches apart and it means it. They majorly spread out so when you make these don't blatantly disregard the directions (like I did) and try to squeeze them all onto one sheet ... unless you want one huge cookie. After they cooled they were easy to break into individual cookies so most could be saved. How cute and easy is the spiderweb chocolate?! Kids will love!
Spiderweb Florentines
1/2 cup pecans, toasted 2 tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar 2 teaspoons honey 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse together pecans and oats in a food processor until finely ground. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add sugars and honey and cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugars are melted and mixture is simmering, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pecan mixture, flour, salt, and cinnamon. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
Mound 2 teaspoonfuls of dough, one on top of the other, to form each cookie; place 2 to 3 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten stacked mounds to 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Bake until cookies spread and are golden throughout, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
Place chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted; remove from heat. Pour chocolate into a parchment cone or resealable plastic bag; snip off a tiny corner. Pipe chocolate onto each cookie in a spiral, working out from center. Pipe lines from outside in and back again, all the way around. Let set at room temperature or in refrigerator before serving.
