Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Line three baking trays with non-stick baking parchment.
Measure the butter, sugar and syrup into a small pan and heat gently until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and add the flour, chopped cherries, candied peel and nuts to the pan and stir well to mix. Spoon teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared baking trays, leaving plenty of room for them to spread.
Bake in the preheated oven for 8–10 minutes or until golden brown. Leave the Florentines to cool before lifting onto a cooling rack with a palette knife (if the Florentines have been baked on buttered baking trays, only allow them to harden for a few moments before lifting onto wire racks to cool completely). If the Florentines become too hard to remove, put them back into the oven for a few moments to allow them to soften.
Break the chocolate into pieces and melt it in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water or in a microwave, stirring occasionally, and taking care not to burn the chocolate. Spread a little melted chocolate over the flat base of each Florentine using a palette knife, and leave to set, chocolate-side up, on the cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.
These are luxurious biscuits, but you do need patience and accurate scales to make them.
