Almond orange honeycomb cigars

Thin crunchy cookies that remind of the top candy layer of florentins. The rolled shape makes them easy to take somewhere or send as a gift. This is an adaptation of a recipe by Rumi Kojima, a pâtissière.

<Ingredients>

(Makes 3 cigars)

1 tbsp + 1 tsp (15 g) butter
1 tbsp + 1 tsp (15 g) sugar
1/2 tbsp (10 g) honey
1 1/2 tbsp (15 g) flour
2 or 3 tsp sliced almonds
Zest of 1/4 orange
1 tbsp candied orange peel


<Directions>
1.
Heat oven to 355 F (180 F).

2.

In a frying pan, lightly toast almond slices.

3.

Melt butter by microwaving for 20-30 seconds.

Add sugar and honey, and mix.

Sift flour in, and quickly mix.

Add orange zest and candied orange peel, and mix.

Add almond slices and mix.

4.

Scoop approximately 1 tbsp, put on 10-15 cm (4”-6”) square parchment paper.

Spread with spatula or spoon into a round.
Try not to overlap almond slices, as they tend to block the dough from spreading. 

5.

Bake for 7-8 minutes until edge turns light brown.

6.

Place a chopstick on one edge, lift parchment paper, and roll the edge over chopstick.
If cookie is too soft to peel from parchment paper, use a knife to peel it off and put edge over chopstick.

Fold edge around chopstick (with the help of a knife if necessary), and roll chopstick as you lift parchment paper to form a cigar.

Roll the cigar for a few seconds on the counter (surface should be cold) until it firms up somewhat, and cool on wire rack.

Once completely cool, keep in an airtight container.

<Notes>

• If a cookie becomes firm before you finish rolling it into a cigar, you can put it back in the oven for a short time to soften.
• Cookies out of the oven are very hot and soft. Be careful not to burn your hands when rolling.
• Until you get used to rolling, work on only one or two pieces at a time.
• If candied orange peel is not available, double the amount of zest.
• You can make slightly skinnier cigars if you use almond dices, broken almond slices or no almond slices; this is handy when taking your cookies somewhere (edges are less likely to break).
• If rolling each piece is too time-consuming or bothersome, cookies can be cooled as flat pieces. Alternatively, make multiple small rounds and cool over a rolling pin or bottle for a curved shape like tuiles, or make a single large sheet and cut it up or break it by hand. The shape doesn’t really matter – it still tastes great!
• When made without almond slices and candied orange peel, the above recipe makes 2 cigars.
• Other citrus also works. A lime version without nuts (as described in Kojima's original recipe) is my favorite.
• Thick cotton gloves would be handy when rolling cookies.