After
a break from posting recipes, I'm back with a little treat for you just
in time for Christmas. These fruity chocolate florentines are
amazingly quick and easy to make and are particularly good served chilled from the
fridge - or even straight out of the freezer!
Florentines
are traditionally full of sugar and cream so, in my recipe, I've reduced the
sugar, cut out all the dairy products and added maple syrup, dairy-free dark
chocolate and plenty of naturally sweet fruits and nuts. As it's Christmas, I've added dried cranberries and some naturally red glace cherries but you can use any combination you like!
Ingredients
Makes about 15
55g
dairy free margarine
27g
light brown muscovado sugar
1
tbsp natural maple syrup
140g mixed dried fruits, cranberries, glace cherries, mixed peel
40g
mixed nuts e.g. almonds, brazil nuts, pecan
25g
plain white flour
100g
dairy free dark chocolate
Method
Preheat
the oven to 170C/150C fan/Gas Mark 3
Prepare
two baking trays by greasing with a little margarine or use non-stick
baking liners.
Start
by placing the margarine, sugar and maple syrup in a saucepan and melting them
over a low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove the pan
from the heat.
Roughly
chop the dried fruit and nuts, then add them to the pan with the flour.
Stir well.
Drop
small spoonfuls of the florentine mixture onto the baking sheets allowing plenty
of space between them. They do spread out during baking so,
if you don't leave enough room, you'll have one very large florentine instead
of about 15 smaller ones!
Place
in the oven and bake for about 10 - 12 minutes until they are golden brown.
Leave
for about 3 minutes to harden slightly before loosening carefully with a knife
or spatula. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
If your florentines have merged together whilst baking, they can still
be rescued! As soon as you take them out of the oven, separate them
carefully with a knife or scissors and ease them into a circular shape.
Break
up the chocolate into pieces and place in a small bowl. Microwave until
completely melted, stirring frequently to avoid overcooking.
(Alternatively,
place the bowl over a small pan filled with a couple of inches of just boiled
water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water)
When
the chocolate is glossy and smooth, spread a thin layer over the
back (i.e. flat side) of each florentine, using a knife or pastry brush. If you like, you can make a zigzag pattern using a fork whilst the chocolate is setting.
Have
a wonderful festive season and see you in the New Year!
