Monday 19 December 2011

Thrifty-ish Florentines


Mr TH has a theory that, on the whole, people give the presents that they'd actually like to receive. This year I am living proof of that...I have made Florentines, Limoncello, Rose Turkish Delight & Christmas Scented Body Oil as presents for friends.

(I've been inspired by the lovely links in the Making Winter December Blog Hop. Thank you to everyone who has already posted a link. The list is open until the 25th December for anyone else who'd like to join in...)


To make Florentines, I followed(ish) a Nigella recipe from her book, 'How to be a Domestic Goddess' (p203)

Gently melt 90g sugar & 25g butter in a pan. Stir carefully & make sure that it doesn't start to burn or darken.


When the sugar has dissolved, take it off the heat & stir in 15g plain flour to form a small ball.

Gradually stir in 150ml double cream. (You might need to return to a low heat to stir out any lumps).


Add about 200-240g of your chosen chopped nuts/seeds/dried fruits & stir.

Warning! At this stage the mixture tastes gorgeous...

Line a few baking trays. (I found that, for me, the non-stick re-usable liners worked much better than greaseproof paper.)


Blob teaspoons of the mixture on to the trays leaving space for expansion.

Cook for about 8-12 mins at 190 degrees. The blobs will have flattened out and be slightly brown at the edges.


Cool for a few mins then move to a wire tray.

When fully cooled, turn upside down & paint the flat sides with molten chocolate. Leave to cool & apply further coats of chocolate if necessary.


The mixture made about 40-50 Florentines  (It would probably have made more but I had to taste all the ingredients on a very regular basis...). I used three & a half bars of chocolate (half each of white, milk & dark chocolate).

They do not have the immaculate look of shop bought ones but they taste extremely good! (I'm hoping & heavily hinting to Mr TH that a packet will end up in my Christmas stocking...?)

16 comments:

Calico Kate said...

Oh my goodness! I don't know about Thrifty-ish, they look very, very More-ish tho!
Had just decided to make someones husband some peppermint creams, wondering now about Florentines....
CKx

Celia Hart said...

Mmmmmm! love Florentines :-)

Thank you for your lovely thrifty creative ideas - always a good read. I hope you have a fab Christmas.

Celia
x

silverpebble said...

These look divine. You've made my mouth water. Oof.

Mrs. Micawber said...

I think Mr. TH's theory is correct.

"Paint with molten chocolate" - what lovely words those are! Also "apply further coats of chocolate". Just reading them makes me smile.

Half the fun of Christmas cooking is the tasting.

Penny said...

Gosh you really have been a busy bee...hmmm how does one become one of your friends to receive such deliciousness ;0) Thanks for sharing xxx

Annie Cholewa said...

Yum! I made a batch of Christmas Shortbread yesterday and was planning a second but, hmm, Florentines, lovely idea :D

millefeuilles said...

The gifts you have made your friends this year? They would suit be perfectly too!

Don't you just love the name 'Florentine'?

Happy evening to you.

Stephanie

Anonymous said...

Definitely more-ish.
Those re-useable baking sheets make life so much easier, don't they!

Ali said...

I adore florentines. Mmmmmm.

lizzie said...

I do understand that you had to taste frequently; quality control. I am off to make these as for once I have everything in the cupboard.
But I must get another Silpat when I am next out.
Thanks for sharing. I have made everything so far and am loving your blog :D

Anonymous said...

I read 'thirty-ish' rather than 'thrifty-ish' and thought that you were letting us know you had eaten several.

They look mouth-wateringly lovely.

Karen S Booth said...

They look wonderful and I adore Florentines too......so pretty when in the packets!
Karen

Thrifty Household said...

Ginger & apricot florentines- I am already a convert Sue! I shall make these next time... & yes, I did eat lots of them in the process- you have to do regular taste tests & quality control!

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

I wonder if I could make a few of these tomorrow while pretending to look after a two year old? Pretty sure we could manage it together!

Calico Kate said...

You have been inspiring me - I have made more peppermint cream, coconut ice (so unbelievably simply and utterly delish) Chocolate fudge although that hasn't set so it's about to become truffles instead! And some marzipan almonds too. Yum yum!
CKx

driftwood said...

oh those look amazing. xxx

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