Florentines
This recipe for chewy, sticky Florentines is absolutely foolproof. Whip up a batch for a party or make as edible Christmas gifts.
Makes 20
Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
25g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
70g unrefined caster sugar
15g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
4 tbsp double cream
50g whole blanched almonds, roughly chopped
50g flaked almonds, toasted
50g mixed peel, chopped
50g undyed glace cherries, chopped
50g preserved stem ginger, drained and chopped
70g plain chocolate, broken into pieces
70g white chocolate, broken into pieces
1. Preheat oven to 190°C/Gas Mark 5. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets with butter and dust with flour.
2. Put the butter, sugar and flour into a saucepan and heat gently, stirring well, until the mixture has melted. Gradually add the cream, stirring constantly, then add all the remaining ingredients, except the chocolate and stir thoroughly. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
3. Drop 5 teaspoons of the mixture onto each of the prepared baking sheets, space well apart to allow for spreading, the flatten with the back of a spoon.
4. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Leave the biscuits to harden on the sheets for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining mixture, again using the 2 baking sheets.
5. When the biscuits are completely cool, put the plain chocolate in a heatproof bowl, set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until melted. Using a teaspoon spread the base of 10 of the biscuits with the melted chocolate. Repeat with the white chocolate for the 10 remaining biscuits.
