Italian · serves 2

Florentines

Cherries, peel and nuts in caramel, backed with chocolate. Looks impossible, takes half an hour.

35 min A proper cook Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 50g butter
  • 50g demerara sugar
  • 50g golden syrup
  • 50g plain flour
  • 25g glace cherries, chopped
  • 50g candied peel, chopped
  • 25g almonds, chopped
  • 25g walnuts, chopped
  • 200g dark chocolate

Method

  1. Warm the butter, sugar and golden syrup until the butter melts. Don't boil it.
  2. Off the heat, stir in the flour, cherries, peel, almonds and walnuts.
  3. Teaspoons onto a lined tray, 5cm apart. They spread into lace.
  4. 180°C for 10 minutes until golden.
  5. Leave them on the tray to harden before moving. If they set too hard, thirty seconds back in the oven softens them.
  6. Melt half the chocolate, stir the rest in chopped, and stir until it cools slightly — that tempers it enough to set with a snap.
  7. Spread on the flat side and mark waves with a fork.

Questions people ask about Florentines

How long does Florentines take?

About 35 minutes from starting to sitting down, and it is a proper cook. Most of that is active, so read the method through before you start rather than chopping as you go.

What is the one thing to get right in Florentines?

Warm the butter, sugar and golden syrup until the butter melts. Don't boil it.

What can I use instead of chocolate in Florentines?

Use cocoa powder plus butter, roughly 3 tbsp cocoa and 1 tbsp butter per 30g chocolate.

Can I make Florentines ahead of time?

You can prepare it a few hours ahead and reheat gently. It keeps two days in the fridge, though it is best on the day.

Is Florentines vegetarian?

Yes, it is vegetarian. It is not vegan as written because it contains dairy; swap the dairy for a plant alternative and the rest of the method is unchanged.

Do I need an oven for Florentines?

Yes, this one needs an oven. If you do not have one, look at the no-oven filter on the baking page: eleven of the bakes here are built for a cooker, a pan or the fridge.

What do you serve with Florentines?

Spread on the flat side and mark waves with a fork. Baking is chemistry, so scale it by weight rather than by eye: double every quantity, use a tin with roughly double the area, and expect to add ten minutes or so. Judge it by the skewer, not the clock.

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