Fiorentini - FLORENTINES (V)

A Florentine biscuit (or, simply, a Florentine) is an Italian biscuit containing nuts and dried fruit and coated with chocolate.

Ingredients:

100g Butter
100g Caster Sugar
125g Flaked Almonds chopped
25g Sultanas or Raisins
25g Glace Cherries chopped
25g Stem Ginger Chopped
15ml Cream
175g of Plain or White Chocolate

Method:

Line 2 baking sheets/trays with baking paper. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the sugar, stir until dissolved  then bring the mixture to the boil for about a minute. Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients except the chocolate, stir well to mix.


Place small teaspoons of the mixture on the prepared baking sheets, allowing plenty of space for the mixture to spread. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C/Gas Mark 4 for 10-12 minutes until golden brown in colour.

Remove from the oven and, leave on the baking sheets for a couple of minutes, then use a round biscuit cutter to pull in the edges to form perfect circles. Lift to cool and crisp on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes.

Melt the chocolate, stir until smooth, leave to cool 10-15 minutes, on the point of setting spread over the back of the biscuits and mark waves in the chocolate with a fork. Leave to set. Arrange on a plate and keep cool.