Ingredients (makes 30)
| 300g Venezuelan Las Trincheras 72% chocolate | |
| Willie’s Venezuelan Gold Chocolate (Las Trincheras) 80g | |
| 80g candied orange peel, roughly chopped | |
| 80g raisins | |
| 200g flaked almonds | |
| 80g pecan nuts, roughly chopped | |
| 50g plain flour | |
| 50g unsalted butter | |
| 150g light muscovado sugar | |
| 60ml clear honey | |
| 100ml double cream |
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170 °C. Line two large baking trays with baking paper.
- Place the candied peel, raisins, flaked almonds and pecan nuts in a bowl. Add the flour, mix well and set aside.
- In a saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, honey and cream. Bring to the boil over a moderate heat and cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not allow the mixture to caramelize and brown. Remove from the heat and stir in the dried fruit, nut and flour mixture.
- Place heaped teaspoons of the mixture on the prepared baking trays, leaving at least 6 cm between the spoonfuls. Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Leave to cool on the baking trays until set.
- Temper the chocolate, then spread a thin layer over the underside of each biscuit. Place chocolate side up on a wire rack to cool. When the chocolate is almost set, mark it with wavy lines, using the prongs of a fork. Leave until the chocolate has completely hardened. The florentines will keep for up to a week if stored in a cool place in an airtight container. Buy the entire recipe collection Willie’s Chocolate Bible (Hardback edition).
