Mini florentines

Name: Mini florentines
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: Makes 36
Cuisine: French recipes
Ingredients: 30g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease; 50g golden caster sugar; 2 tbsp plain flour 3 tbsp double cream; 30g flaked almonds; 30g blanched almonds, cut into thin matchsticks; 20 shelled unsalted pistachios, cut into thin slivers; 30g dried sour cherries or dried cranberries; 20g good quality mixed peel; 20g stem ginger from a jar, drained and finely chopped; 200g white chocolate, melted; 70g milk chocolate (use dark chocolate if you prefer), melted

Published: 28 Nov 17
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Test kitchen approved

Nuts, stem ginger, mixed peel and dried sour cherries are bound together with chocolate, to create mini florentines. Stack these moreish biscuits in a gift box, for the perfect Christmas treat.

Want a bigger version? Here’s our traditional florentine recipe.

Makes 36
Hands-on time 50 min, oven time 30 min, plus cooling

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Ingredients

30g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
50g golden caster sugar
2 tbsp plain flour  3 tbsp double cream
30g flaked almonds
30g blanched almonds, cut into thin matchsticks
20 shelled unsalted pistachios, cut into thin slivers
30g dried sour cherries or dried cranberries
20g good quality mixed peel
20g stem ginger from a jar, drained and finely chopped
200g white chocolate, melted
70g milk chocolate (use dark chocolate if you prefer), melted

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Stir the butter, sugar and flour in  a medium saucepan over a medium heat until the butter has melted. Gently mix  in the cream using a wooden spoon, then add all the remaining ingredients apart from the chocolate and stir until well combined. Set aside to cool.
The florentines are best baked in 3 batches of 12 as they cool quickly. Grease a baking sheet with a little butter and put 12 heaped teaspoons of mixture on the sheet, about 4cm apart. Lightly press down each mound with the back of the spoon, then bake for 7-8 minutes until golden. Take the florentines out of the oven. If the sides are too ragged, neaten them up using the edge of a teaspoon, working as quickly as possible. Put them them back in the oven for 1-2 minutes. Leave the florentines to cool on the tray for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. If they break a little, reshape while warm.
When completely cool, dip one side of the florentines into the melted white chocolate, then put on an upturned baking tray, chocolate-side up, for 15-20 minutes until the chocolate has cooled and set. Repeat to give a good thick chocolate base. Once cooled, drizzle the melted milk (or dark) chocolate over the bases in a zig zag pattern and leave to set once more. Let the chocolate set completely before packaging the florentines for gifts.

Recipe from November 2017 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Per florentine

Calories: 83kcals
Fat: 5.1g (2.4g saturated)
Protein: 1.4g
Carbohydrates: 7.6g (6.8g sugars)
Fibre: 0.2g
Salt: trace salt

delicious. tips

Find a gift box of your choice, then line with wax paper and stack the florentines so they’re slightly staggered in the box. Fold over the wax paper and seal with a gift sticker, then seal the box. Keep them in the fridge until ready to give.
The florentines are best within 2 days of making them but will keep for up to 4 days if kept in an airtight container in a cool place. Make them the day before giving them as gifts.

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