These vegan florentines feature a chewy, gooey centre studded with pecans, flaked almonds, mixed peel and a velvety dark chocolate base. The mix of caramel, ginger, sweet orange and chocolate is pure indulgence, making it impossible to stop at just one biscuit.
Florentines are the jewels of the biscuit world. I was inspired by The Great British Bake Off to get more creative with my biscuit recipes. The florentines featured on the show looked so decadent that I couldn’t resist attempting to create a vegan version. Admittedly florentines are by their nature a tad theatrical, what with the layers of chopped nuts and candied fruit in a caramel mixture, and this is all before you get to the thick chocolate coating. They are pure sugar and fat, but that is what makes them so alluring and ridiculously delicious.
And as if you needed more of an excuse to devour these bad boys – Winter is just the season for florentines. These biscuits just sing all things Christmas – indulgent, fun, fruity and spicy. The little parcels of joy have a chewy centre with caramelised crispy edges. On first bite you are met with a burst of sweet spiced orange which is tempered by the velvety dark chocolate.
The Ingredients
I wanted a biscuit that would evoke the sentiment of Christmas – luxurious and indulgent. As soon as the florentines leave the oven, their festive aroma is released; think burnished orange, caramelised sugar, ginger and hints of burnt toffee. I used plenty of pecans so the toasted nuttiness really comes through. Then flavoured with ginger and orange which is a timeless combination. To finish you have the dark chocolate to compliment the sweet orange and lemon rind.
I’ve reduced the amount of margarine ever so slightly. Margarine has a lower fat content than butter and consequently takes slightly longer to brown in the oven.
The Method
For something so decadent these florentines are deceptively simple to make. Bring the syrup, margarine and brown sugar to a gentle boil and stir until you have a lovely sticky mixture. Stir in the remaining ingredients, barring the chocolate. Spoon the mixture into the muffin tins and voila, the hard work is complete! Bake in the oven until the edges are darker and crisper than the centre, approximately 12 minutes. Then leave to cool completely before decorating with the melted chocolate and the toasted flaked almonds.
More sweet treats to try…
Leave a comment and let me know how you get on making these vegan florentines. I’d love to see your creations over on instagram!
Vegan florentines
Ingredients
- 40 g dairy free margarine
- 50 g light brown soft sugar
- 50 g golden syrup
- 50 g plain flour
- 75 g pecans roughly chopped
- 25 g flaked almonds
- 100 g mixed peel
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of salt
To decorate
- 15 g flaked almonds
- 75 g dark chocolate
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / gas 6. Lightly grease a muffin tin with margarine.
- In a large bowl mix the flour, pecans, flaked almonds, mixed peel, ginger and a pinch of salt.
- Add the margarine, syrup and sugar to a saucepan. Heat over a low heat until lightly bubbling and the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the prepared mixed flour, nuts and spices.
- Measure the florentine mix into the muffin tin – use 2 tablespoons for each florentine, then gently press each biscuit with the back of a spoon.
- Place the muffin tin on the middle shelf and bake for 12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave the florentines to cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Then carefully remove each florentine and leave to cool completely on a wire rack (approximately 20 minutes).
- Crumble the flaked almonds into tiny pieces and dry toast in a skillet over a moderate heat. It should take roughly 3 minutes for the almonds to turn a light brown shade. Pour the almonds into a bowl and set to one side for later use.
- Prepare the chocolate topping by roughly breaking up the chocolate and placing in a heat proof bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan filled with water, being careful not to let the bowl touch the water. Heat over a low heat until just simmering. Stir the chocolate until melted and it has a silky smooth texture.
- Use a spoon to spread the chocolate over the flat side of the florentines. Decorate the florentines by sprinkling the flaked almonds over half of the chocolate side, leaving the remaining half with plain chocolate. Place on the wire rack and leave for 1 hour to allow the chocolate to set completely.