Easy florentine chocolate drops with cherries and pistachios
And the best corner shop chocolate
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Let's talk about sweet treats. I’ll set the scene with some of the things I love.
From the corner shop;
The Tony’s that is clearly a Toblerone copy
Milky Way, from the freezer (notable mention for crispy rolls)
A Fudge
A KitKat (the classic not a chunky)
Moving up a notch;
Mint chocolate (specifically Bendicks bittermints and mint fondants)
Recently discovered dark chocolate cherries (Forest Feast)
The M&S thick chocolate biscuits (milk) or their pretzel, caramel + sea salt bar
The cookie chip chocolate from Pump Street Bakery
Montezuma’s giant chocolate buttons
a mention for lemon zest grated on chocolate.
In proof that I married the right person, John literally never touches any of these chocolates and leaves them for me, a personal stash. I don’t ask him to, he just does it. That, to me, is the mark of a great man (or maybe he’s just not that into chocolate.) Either way it works out well for me. Moving on.
Florentines are another thing I love. The chew of the caramelly nuts, the pops of candied peel and fruit next to the nuts, the layer of thick chocolate. They are my ideal.
I remember my Mum buying them at the Safeway bakery counter when I was little. They would be her personal treat, too chewy and citrusy for my sister and I to be interested. The ultimate in a personal choc stash.
Up until now, I have bought my florentines. While they are not that hard to make, they do require making a caramel which doesn’t feel like easy, everyday cooking.
As my sweet treat of choice, it felt like I needed a rethink. The ones I was buying were without question delicious but too much for me to feel ok about eating them after dinner everyday. So I set out to make some that were easy and a bit less scary for my teeth, but still bring the chewy nut caramel chocolate feeling that I love so much.
So these florentine chocolate drops are my easy way of bringing all the classic flavours together in a way that feels simple, no oven to turn on and definitely no caramel to make.
Instead of a making a caramel, I add some maple syrup to the hot pan of just toasted nuts, which instantly caramelises and brings them together in a way that a caramel might but without any of the process. A win.
I like to use a mixture of nuts - flaked almonds and pistachios for me, but any nuts are welcome. I like a mixture of dried cherries, stem ginger* and candied peel, but any mixture of dried fruit will do. I add more citrus zest too.
These would be a really nice thing to make for Easter or to give to someone if that’s something you do. They look like they are much more complicated and time consuming than they are. Homemade in an easy way.
An even easier way to make these is to use giant chocolate buttons instead of melting chocolate. Turn the oven on, melt them for 10 seconds so they still hold their shape and then top with the nuts and fruit, no melting and spooning. Just an idea.
*for those wondering I do not (yet) have a sponsorship deal with a stem ginger brand and my use (some might say overuse) of stem ginger is all my own. Any stem ginger brands keen to work with me please comment below.
Easy florentine chocolate drops with cherries and pistachios
Use any chocolate you love here, likewise with the nuts just make sure they are well toasted. I like to use sour cherries and dates but raisins and in fact any other dried fruit would work too. I use a mixture of stem ginger and candied peel - 50g in total.
Makes 20-24
200g good-quality dark or milk chocolate, broken up
40g flaked almonds
40g shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 balls of stem ginger (50g) or 50g candied peel (or a mixture of both) roughly chopped
60g sour cherries
4 Medjool dates, stoned and roughly chopped
Zest of one unwaxed lemon
1 good pinch flaky sea salt
Melt the chocolate
Fill a medium saucepan with water and put on the heat until simmering. Put a heatproof glass bowl on top, making sure the bottom doesn’t touch the water, this is your bain marie, add the 200g chocolate, and melt. Once melted, remove the bowl and turn off the heat.
Toast the nuts
Put 40g flaked almonds and 40g chopped pistachios in a medium-sized frying pan and toast until they are caramel brown and smell fragrant, I like them well toasted. Turn off the heat add the 2 tablespoons maple syrup, stir quickly to coat everything, then take off the heat.
Add the dried fruit
Add the 2 chopped balls of stem ginger or 50g candied peel, the 60g sour cherries and 4 chopped dates, stir again, then transfer to a bowl.
Make the chocolate drops
Line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper. Carefully drop tablespoons of the melted chocolate onto the sheet, creating roughly 5cm rounds, you should be able to make 20-24 rounds.
Decorate the drops
While the chocolate is still melted, scatter over the mixture of fruit and nuts. Finish with the zest of one unwaxed lemon and a good pinch of salt and put in the fridge to set for 10 minutes. Remove from the fridge after 10 minutes to finish setting in a cool, dry place.
Storage
Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Things to click on:
Candles shaped like spring flowers
A Middle-Eastern take on the Bruce Bogtrotter cake
I might make these this weekend
A rooster platter for the table this weekend
Early birds get these beautiful new pans
You just made my journée!🌷🐣🙏
I love florentines, they are my go-to Christmas treat…I think they might be more frequent thanks to this method. Thank you Anna!