Ingredients

• 25g/1oz butter
• 75g/2½oz caster sugar
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 75ml/2½fl oz double cream
• 50g/1¾oz flaked almonds
• lightly toasted
• 50g/1¾oz cut mixed peel
• 2 tbsp stem ginger
• finely chopped
• 1 orange
• zest only
• 25g/1oz glace cherries
• chopped
• 100g/3½oz dark chocolate

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• Place the butter into a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Once melted
• add the sugar and flour and whisk continuously until everything is combined and you have a smooth pale paste. Pour in the cream
• stirring as you pour until completely incorporated. The mixture should be smooth.
• Turn off the heat
• add the almonds
• mixed peel
• stem ginger
• orange zest and cherries. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined and set aside to cool.
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place teaspoons of the florentine mixture onto the tray
• allowing 3cm/1¼in between them as they will spread during cooking. You may need to do this in batches
• or use two trays.
• Place the tray into the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes
• or until golden-brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for two minutes before quickly transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
• While the florentines are cooling
• melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. (Make sure that the base of the bowl does not touch the water.)
• Drizzle the cooled florentines with the melted chocolate. Allow to set then serve. Or store in an airtight container for up to three days.