Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 75g/2½oz golden caster sugar
• 2 tsp flour
• 75ml/2½fl oz crème fraîche
• 50g/2oz flaked almonds
• toasted
• 2 tbsp candied peel
• 2 tbsp crystallised stem ginger
• 50g/2oz dried sour cherries
• 150g/5oz good quality dark chocolate
• broken into pieces

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• Heat the butter
• sugar and flour in a pan over a medium heat
• stirring continuously
• until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
• Gradually add the crème fraîche
• stirring continuously until well combined.
• Add the almonds
• candied peel
• stem ginger
• and sour cherries and mix well until combined.
• Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and place teaspoonfuls of the florentine mixture onto it. Space the teaspoonfuls out at 2.5cm/1in intervals so they don't merge together when heated.
• Transfer the florentines to the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes
• or until golden-brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool on the tray
• then transfer the florentines to a cooling rack.
• Bring a little water to a simmer in a pan. Suspend a heatproof bowl over the water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water). Add the chocolate pieces and stir until smooth and melted.
• Turn the florentines so that the flat base is facing upwards. Spread the melted chocolate over the florentine bases and set aside to cool and set.