Nan’s Florentines
Bake Off winner, Candice Brown's easy recipe for Florentines uses her Nan's suggested combination of fruits that pair perfectly with the dark chocolate base.
Introduction
This is another handwritten recipe from my Nan. It was perfect the first time I made it (says it all really) and so was she. Feel free to change the fruit and nuts if you want, although why would you when it’s perfect the way she wrote it?
Ingredients
| 60g | unsalted butter |
| 170g | golden caster sugar |
| 30g | plain flour |
| 150ml | double cream |
| 115g | flaked almonds |
| 115g | whole toasted almonds or pecans, roughly chopped |
| 85g | flaked coconut |
| 85g | dried apricots, chopped |
| 60g | dried cherries |
| 200g | dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids) broken into pieces |
Method
Preheat the oven to 170C fan (190C/375F/Gas Mark 5).
Melt the butter with the sugar in a saucepan over a low heat. When the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is golden and bubbling, add the flour and mix until smooth over a low heat. Remove from the heat and slowly add the cream, stirring the whole time until smooth and glossy.
Add the flaked almonds, chopped almonds or pecans, coconut flakes, apricots and cherries and mix well until everything is combined and covered with the creamy mixture.
Line four baking sheets with greaseproof paper. Drop the mixture in heaped teaspoonfuls on to the greaseproof paper, ensuring there is about 2cm between each heap of mixture.
Place in a preheated oven near the top and bake for 12-15 minutes (switch the baking sheets around half way through).
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a wire rack- use a flat palette knife to move the florentines. Leave to cool completely.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Coat the flat underside of each florentine with chocolate and allow to set slighly before zigzagging a fork across the chocolate to make a pattern. Then leave, chocolate-side up, to set completely.
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