florentines

Christmas is around the corner and homemade Christmas gifts are a great cost-saving and a way to show you care. Here’s a recipe for Florentines made in the Thermomix and the cost-saving you can have compared to buying it.

A Florentine biscuit is a sweet pastry of nuts and fruit. Florentines are made of nuts and candied cherries mixed with sugar melted together with butter and honey, cooked in an oven.

Ingredients

• 50 g pistachio nuts, unsalted, shelled
• 30 g walnut halves
• 75 g unsalted butter, diced
• 75 g Demerara sugar
• 15 g double cream
• 1 pinch salt
• 30 g dried cherries, halved, quartered if large
• 60 g mixed candied peel
• 50 g dried cranberries
• 60 g flaked almonds
• 150 g dark chocolate, small pieces or callets

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
2. Place pistachios and walnuts in mixing bowl then chop 3 sec/speed 7. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. Place butter, sugar, cream and salt in mixing bowl then melt 3 min/Varoma/speed 1.
4. Add cherries, candied peel, cranberries, almonds and reserved chopped nuts then mix 10 sec/reverse/speed 3.
5. Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture (approx. 20 g each) into a ball using hands, place on prepared trays and flatten out as much as possible, leaving 5 cm between each to spread. Bake for 8-10 minutes (180°C) until golden then leave on tray to cool completely. Meanwhile, clean and thoroughly dry mixing bowl.
6. Place chocolate in mixing bowl, grate 5 sec/speed 8 then melt 4 min/50°C/speed 2.
7. Spread chocolate evenly over one side of each florentine and leave to set completely (see tip). Store in an airtight container until needed.

Hints & Tips

• Florentines often have a wavy pattern on the chocolate. If desired, once chocolate is firm enough to hold its shape (30-60 minutes), use a fork to draw wavy lines across the chocolate.

Nutrition per 1 piece

• Calories 531 kJ / 127 kcal
• Protein 1.7 g
• Carbohydrates 12 g
• Fat 9 g
• Saturated Fat 4 g
• Fibre 1.5 g
• Sodium 12 mg

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