Chocolate Florentines are delicious and their pretty appearance make them a perfect Christmas gift – or indeed at any time of the year. If youāve never made them before, rest assured they are easy to make. Another bonus? They keep for ages, so they are ideal for making ahead of time!
Itās that time of year when Iām looking at recipes to make for homemade Christmas presents. I love nothing more than hunkering down in the kitchen on a cold December day to make some festive treats to help us through the dark Winter months. Fairy lights hung everywhere for that full-on Nigella effect only enhances the cosy, festive vibes š
To me, Florentines come under the category of āposhā biscuits. There is also something fabulously retro about them!
Delia Smith says āIf there was such a thing as a prize for the very best biscuit in the world, one bite of a Florentine would tell you this was the winner.ā They look stunning and taste like they came from a high-end department store.
WHAT ARE FLORENTINES MADE OF?
If youāve never eaten a Florentine, they are essentially chopped dried fruits and nuts bound together in a sticky, buttery syrup. They are baked until golden, and coated in melted chocolate.
A good chocolate Florentine recipe should be thin, slightly crisp around the edges (but not as crisp as a brandy snap) and a little chewy in the middle.Ā
Can I use different ingredients?
Absolutely. You can adapt the Florentines to your own taste. Here are a few suggestions:
- Swap the cranberries or dried cherries for sultanas or raisins
- Donāt like stem ginger? Swap it for glacĆ© cherries
- Add some candied peel, if you like it
- Use milk or white chocolate instead of plain
- Use golden syrup instead of honey
How to make Florentines – step by step guide
Scroll to the end of the post to find a printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Step one – Melt unsalted butter, soft light brown sugar and honey together in a large saucepan over a low heat.
Step two – When the mixture has melted completely, stir in the dried fruits, chopped stem ginger, almonds and plain flour.
Step three – Stir well until you have a sticky, nutty, jewelled mixture.
Step four – Spoon level 15ml tablespoon measures of dough onto a lined baking tray, making sure there is plenty of space between each one or they will spread and stick together. Don’t be concerned about making them look perfectly round just yet.
Step five – Bake the Florentines for 8-10 minutes or until golden. They will be very fragile, so leave them on the baking tray for at least 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
Step six – Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water or in the microwave. Place a teaspoon of melted chocolate on the back (the smoother side) of each florentine and spread out to cover the whole biscuit.
Step seven – Make the trademark wiggly lines on each Florentine with a fork. You might have to do this twice to create a defined pattern. Don’t allow the chocolate to set and then attempt to create the wavy lines – it won’t work!
Step eight – Transfer the Florentines to a wire rack with a piece of baking parchment underneath to catch any chocolate drips. Leave them until the chocolate has completely set.
Tips for recipe success
Please use a measuring scale for this recipe. I would not recommend trying to convert it using cups. The recipe depends on precise measurements to turn out correctly.
If you use a tiny bit less flour, or you’ve been a little heavy handed with the honey, the Florentines might not turn out perfectly. For the very best results, please use a digital scale.
Make sure you leave a good amount of space between each Florentine on the baking trays. They spread and puff out quite a lot.
The Florentines will be fragile, so use a long thin spatula to carefully remove them from the baking trays.
Storing florentines
Homemade Florentines will keep for quite a long time – which of course makes them ideal for making as gifts! They will keep in an airtight tin for up to one month.
I seriously doubt theyāll hang around for that long though. Make sure the chocolate has set properly before you store them away. You’ll need to keep them in a cool, dry place.
homemade gifting
Chocolate Florentines make a lovely Christmas gift or Birthday present. Wrap them up in cellophane and tie with a pretty ribbon for a stunning present.
more homemade Christmas gifts
- chocolate rum truffles
- white chocolate coconut truffles
- chocolate peanut butter krispie bites
- Scottish shortbread
- Scottish tablet
- Christmas spiced granola
Chocolate Florentines
Chocolate Florentines are a classic biscuit that is perfect for Christmas time. Jewelled with apricots, cranberries and flaked almonds and coated in chocolate, they make a wonderful homemade Christmas gift.
Ingredients
- 55g unsalted butter
- 45g Demerara sugar
- 2 tsp runny honey
- 25g flaked almonds
- 2 tbsp chopped dried apricots
- 2 tbsp dried sour cherries or cranberries
- 1 tbsp stem ginger, chopped
- 40g plain (all purpose) flour
- Pinch of salt
- 125g dark or milk chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160Fan/350F. Grease and line two large baking trays.
- Place the butter, brown sugar and honey in a large saucepan and slowly melt over a low heat,
- Remove from the heat and stir in the flaked almonds, dried apricots, cherries or cranberries, stem ginger, flour and a pinch of salt.
- Place level tablespoons of the mixture onto the lined baking tray, making sure they have plenty of space between them. They will spread!
- Flatten them into 5cm rounds, then re-shape with your fingers or use an upturned glass or a circular cutter. Bake one sheet at a time for 8-10 minutes or until golden.
- The biscuits will be very fragile, so leave them on the baking trays for at least 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Melt the chocolate either in the microwave or a heat proof bowl placed over a pan of very gently simmering water. Don’t allow the chocolate to become too hot - remove the bowl from the heat when it has just about melted and give it a stir. The residual heat will be enough to thoroughly melt the chocolate.
- When the Florentines have cooled completely, place a teaspoon sized amount of melted chocolate on the back of each Florentine and smooth it out to cover the whole side. Take a fork and make squiggly lines through the chocolate. Place on a wire cooling rack with a sheet of baking paper underneath (to catch any chocolate drips) to allow the chocolate to set and harden.
Notes
Storing: Florentines will keep for up to one month in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Florentines do not freeze well, so I'm afraid I wouldn't recommend it.