FLORENTINES

MAKES 36

You’ll find these Florentines hard to resist! If you prefer, the nuts and seeds can be interchanged with other varieties as long as you keep the same weight. Store in an airtight container for up to four weeks.

125g caster sugar 75ml pure (thin) cream 1 tbs honey 35g liquid glucose 60g unsalted butter 1 cup (100g) flaked almonds 50g pistachios, slivered or roughly chopped 1/ 3 cup (50g) white sesame seeds 1/ 2 cup (75g) hazelnuts, chopped 25g glacé cherries, sliced 230g good-quality milk chocolate,

melted, cooled

Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a baking tray with a non-stick mat or baking paper. Place the caster sugar, cream, honey, glucose and butter in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Cook until you achieve a light golden colour. Remove the pan from heat and add all remaining ingredients, except the melted chocolate, and stir to combine.

Place 3cm rounds of the mixture on the lined tray 10cm apart and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden. Remove the tray from the oven and, while the Florentines are still hot, take a 7cm cutter or overturned cup, and place it over a baked hot Florentine. With a continual circular motion, neaten the edges of each Florentine to create an even round disc. (This is optional, they taste just as good with uneven edges.) Leave to cool completely on the tray. Once cool, remove from the tray.

To coat the bases with the melted chocolate, dip a small knife or the back of a spoon in the chocolate and spread a thin layer over the Florentine bases. Set aside, chocolate side-up, at room temperature until chocolate sets.