- 35 almonds
- 25 walnut pieces
- 200g plain chocolate (70 percent cocoa solids)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Line three baking trays with parchment paper or silicone sheets.
In a small saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, and syrup. Gently heat until the butter melts. Remove from heat and add the flour, chopped cranberries or cherries, candied peel, and nuts to the pan. Mix thoroughly.
Using a teaspoon, spoon six portions of the mixture onto each prepared baking tray, ensuring ample space between them for spreading during baking. This should yield 18 florentines in total.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the florentines turn a golden-brown color. Allow them to cool on the trays before transferring them to a wire rack using a palette knife. If the florentines were baked on greased trays, let them firm up for a brief moment before moving them to the rack to cool completely. If they become too hard to remove, briefly return them to the oven to soften.
To temper the chocolate, place a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl does not touch the water. Break half of the chocolate into the bowl and stir until it reaches a melting temperature of 53°C (127°F). Meanwhile, finely chop or grate the remaining chocolate.
Once the first batch of chocolate has melted, carefully remove the bowl from the pan and add the rest of the chocolate. Stir gently until the chocolate cools to 26°C (79°F).
Spread a small amount of melted chocolate over the flat base of each florentine. Allow it to cool slightly before creating a zigzag pattern in the chocolate with a fork. Leave the florentines to set, chocolate side up, on the cooling rack. Store them in an airtight container once fully cooled.
