Cakes & biscuits
Almond Florentines with dark chocolate
Florentines are thin almond biscuits held together by a caramel-like sugar and cream mixture.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Servings / pieces
- 24
- Topic
- Cakes & biscuits
Florentines are thin almond biscuits held together by a caramel-like sugar and cream mixture. They contain no flour dough and spread during baking, so generous spacing matters more than a perfect initial shape. Uneven edges can be nudged inward with a spoon while still hot. Once cool, their undersides receive a thin coat of chocolate. The combination should be crisp rather than hard and bitter: watch the colour and bubbling closely near the end of baking. This version uses flaked almonds alone, without candied fruit.
Method
Step by step
- 01
Cook the caramel mixture
Heat the sugar, honey, butter, cream and salt in a small saucepan, stirring. Once bubbling evenly, simmer gently over medium heat for two minutes. Handle the hot sugar carefully and never test it with your fingers.
- 02
Add the almonds
Remove from the heat and stir in the flaked almonds thoroughly. Cool for five minutes until slightly thickened. Meanwhile heat the oven to 180°C conventional and line two trays with good baking paper.
- 03
Portion small mounds
Place scant teaspoons of mixture on the paper and flatten slightly. Leave at least 6 cm between portions. Bake in two batches rather than crowding biscuits that will spread substantially.
- 04
Bake until golden
Bake each tray on the middle shelf for 8–11 minutes. The mixture should bubble and become golden brown around the edges. If needed, immediately nudge hot edges into rounds using a spoon. Leave on the tray until completely cool and firm.
- 05
Coat with chocolate
Finely chop the chocolate and melt gently in a bowl above warm water. Peel the cold biscuits off the paper. Brush the undersides thinly with chocolate and leave chocolate-side up to set. Pack only once the coating is firm.
Times are a guide. Your hob, oven and ingredients affect the result; use the cooking cues as well as the clock.
Checking crispness
Hot biscuits are soft and harden during cooling. A fully cold Florentine that remains flexible may have been too thick or underbaked. Spread the next batch more thinly and watch it for a little longer.
Shape and storage
A large merged sheet of almonds can be cut while warm but will not give individual rounds. Allow proper spacing for even biscuits. Keep dry and airtight, as caramel attracts moisture from the air and can become sticky.
Kitchen questions
One more question?
Can I use different nuts?
Finely sliced hazelnuts work but change the flavour and browning. Whole nuts are too coarse for this thin structure.
How do I release stuck biscuits?
Let them cool fully first. Peel the paper back carefully rather than pulling the delicate biscuit upwards. Use coated baking paper for the next batch.
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