Almond Florentine-Style Cookies

Almond Florentine cookies are diamond-shaped crunchy shortbreads with a layer of slivered almonds. The almonds toast while they bake, adding an extra dimension of flavor. I like to serve these in place of biscotti with strong coffee, or even crumbled and served on top of ice cream. If you prefer a thicker cookie base, use a full batch of kruche dough rather than half, and bake the base just a bit longer. For variety, switch out the slivered almonds for chopped hazelnuts, walnuts, or even se