Festive Florentines

• In-between a biscuit and a chocolate.
• Fruit ‘n’ nut soft bites.
• Made festive with ginger and cherries.
• Makes around 8 Florentines.

Organic Coconut Sugar (1kg) - Sussex Wholefoods

20-30g Coconut Palm Sugar

Plain White Flour, Gluten-Free, 1kg (Dove's Farm)

3 heaped tsp Doves Farm Gluten-Free Plain Flour

Flaked Almonds 500g (Healthy Supplies)

50g Flaked Almonds

Organic Stem Ginger 330g (Biona)

2 Tbsp of finely chopped Stem Ginger

Organic Sour Cherries 500g (Sussex Wholefoods)

50g Dried Sour Cherries

Vegan 85% Dark Chocolate 100g, Organic (Vivani)

150g Dark Chocolate

Other Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp Butter or Margarine.
• 75g Low Fat Creme Fraiche

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°c/350°F/Gas 4 and lay grease proof paper onto a flat baking sheet or tray.
2. In a saucepan heat the butter/margarine, sugar and flour gently over a medium heat. Stir until the butter has melted and the coconut sugar has dissolved.
3. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the Creme Fraiche until thoroughly combined.
4. Now add the flaked almonds, stem ginger and sour cherries and mix well so that everything is coated well with the flour mix.
5. Place 2-3 teaspoons of mixture onto the baking tray, flatting them down into rough circles. Try and leave a good gap of 2½cm /1 inch between each Florentine, so they don’t stick together when baking. You might need to use a second baking tray, depending on how big you want each Florentine to be.
6. Place the tray(s)in the middle of the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let them cool down slightly on the tray before transferring to a cooling rack.
7. Create a Bain Marie using a Pyrex/heat proof glass bowl. The bowl should be half resting inside a saucepan of boling water. Tip: The saucepan should be smaller in diameter than the glass bowl. The boiling water should not touch the base of the saucepan. Add the chocolate pieces into the bowl and stir until all have melted.
8. Temporarily remove the cooled Florentines from the cooling rack and cover the rack with some greaseproof paper. Then place each Florentine on their back i.e. the base is facing upwards.
9. Using a metal spoon, dribble a little melted chocolate into the centre of each Florentine, finish one before moving onto the next, and use the back of the spoon to spread the chocolate over the surface. Tip: try doing this in a spiral motion working from the inside out. Don’t worry if chocolate runs over the edges, this is part of the plan!
10. Allow to cool or you can put in the fridge if you are in a hurry. Then transfer to cellophane gift bags or an airtight container until you are ready to gift box or just keep for yourself.