Florentine desserts are a classic Italian treat that has been enjoyed for centuries. Originating in Florence, Italy, these delicious desserts are made with a combination of nuts, honey, and candied fruit. Florentines have become a staple in many Italian households and are often served on special occasions such as weddings or holidays.
Brief History and Origin
Florentines were first created in the 16th century by a baker named Antonio Mattei. He used almonds and hazelnuts to create the original Florentine recipe. Mattei’s recipe was so popular that other bakers adopted it throughout Florence. Over time, different recipe variations were developed as more ingredients became available.
The earliest known version of the Florentine dessert featured honey, sugar, butter, flour, egg whites and ground almonds. This version became popular in the 17th century and is still used in some parts of Italy. As time passed, bakers began adding various ingredients, such as candied fruits and spices, to give their creations unique flavours.
Modern versions of Florentines often feature dried fruits such as apricots or cranberries instead of candied fruits. Other additions may include chocolate chips or liqueurs like Grand Marnier or Amaretto to give them an extra kick!
Florentine – The Recipe
- Preparation Time: 25 mins
- Cooking Time: 20 mins
- Total time: 45 mins
- Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 25g butter, unsalted
- 25g golden syrup
- 25g light brown sugar
- 25g all-purpose flour
- 35g almonds, flaked
- 25g pistachios, chopped
- 1 orange, zested
- ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
- 85g dark chocolate, melted
Instructions
- Prepare oven and preheat to 160 degrees C. Also, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
- Add butter, golden syrup, and sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Stir and cook until butter melts and sugar dissolves.
- Then take off from heat and add flour; whisk well. Add almonds, orange zest and pistachios, and mix well.
- Spread a spoonful of batter onto the prepared baking sheet keeping enough space; there should be 10 Florentines.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes or until it turns golden. When ready, remove from oven and leave to rest for 2 minutes.
- Take off Florentines from the baking sheet and place them on the wire rack until completely cooled.
- Melt dark chocolate and apply it to the base of each Florentine, and spread to the edges using the back of the spoon.
- When the chocolate is firm, draw wave lines across the dark chocolate using the fork. When set, serve immediately or store in an air-tight container for future use.
Popular variations
Here are a few ways you can change this basic recipe to adjust it to your liking:
- Almond, Cherry, and Sultanas Florentines: Flaked almonds, glacé cherries, and sultanas are combined with butter and golden syrup to make a batch of soft, chewy, and easy Almond Florentines. The chocolate base also lightens the flavor.
- Nutty Florentine bars: These Florentines bars have all the nuts you can think of with a buttery shortbread base. We found it loaded with divine crunch and tart sweetness from the cherries.
- Vegan Florentines: These Florentines have almond butter or coconut oil base but delicious flavors of coconut cream, maple syrup and cranberries with the almonds. Surprisingly these taste like just the authentic ones but vegan friendly.
- Caramel and Cornflakes Florentines Biscuits: These biscuits are straight off made with caramel, cornflakes, almonds, and berries. They are crunchy, golden, and so delicious.
- Salted Caramel Florentines: The salted caramel Florentines have bittersweet chocolate base with salted caramel that will cut down the extra sweetness of the traditional Florentines.
