Cherry And Almond Florentines
Ingredients
- 50g (1¾ oz) ) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 80 g (3 oz) soft light brown sugar
- 2 tbs plain flour
- 80 g (3 oz) flaked almonds
- 50 g (1¾ oz) glacé cherries, chopped roughly
- 30 g (1 oz) mixed peel
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- For the Base:
- 100 g (3½ oz) dark chocolate
- ¼ tsp coconut oil
These Cherry and Almond Florentines are made to a traditional German recipe.
They’d make a lovely Christmas gift — though we’re afraid they might never get to the wrapping stage around us!
Anja, the recipe’s author, notes that the high-fat, low-flour mixture take some getting used to. She advises baking only one sheet of the biscuits at a time at first.
This recipe makes about 16.
Method
- Heat the oven to 180 deg. C., 350 deg. F., Gas Mark 4 and line 3 large baking sheets with non-stick baking parchment.
- In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Next, add the remaining ingredients and gently mix through.
- Using a teaspoon, spoon small amounts of the mixture on to the prepared sheets, placing them at least 10 cm (4 in) apart. It’s quite a sturdy mix and so will just sit there in a lump, and this is fine and how it’s supposed to be. I usually find that they spread to roughly 7 cm (2¾ in) in diameter, so 6 is the maximum one sheet can hold.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, taking the sheet out after 5 minutes and flattening the centre of the Florentines slightly with the back of a teaspoon. After the full cooking time, they will have spread further and will need gentle re-shaping around the edges while still warm on the sheet. Allow to cool completely on the sheet, then transfer, flipped upside down, to a wire rack.
To make the coating:
- Put the chocolate and coconut oil into a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a small saucepan with a 1 cm (⅜ in) depth of water in the bottom. Turn the heat on low and wait for the chocolate to melt. Once the chocolate starts melting, stir it so that the coconut oil is evenly dispersed. Take off the heat once the chocolate is glossy and fluid.
- Spoon a teaspoonful of the melted chocolate on to the base of each Florentine, spreading it almost to the edges with the back of a teaspoon.
- Allow to set for 10 minutes before dragging a fork through the chocolate in squiggly patterns. This step is purely for looks and can be left out. It will take an hour or so for the chocolate to set fully.
- Stored in an airtight container, the Florentines will keep well for around a week.
This recipe and image is from “Advent: Festive German Bakes to Celebrate the Coming of Christmas” by Anja Dunk (Quadrille, £25).
There are more of Anja’s recipes on the cookery pages in our Special 217, on sale now.
For more great recipes from “The People’s Friend”, click here.
