Florentine Biscuits with Lindt Chocolate

Despite the fact that the recipe was created in Florence during the Renaissance, and later exported to France, Florentine biscuits are considered to be a typical French pastry!

These are delicious Florentines which, although they do not look as symmetrical as they do when you buy them in the shop, they taste so much better, and are without all the preservatives!

They are quite simple to make though slightly "fiddly" with spreading the chocolate on the bottom after they are cooked -well worth the effort though!

You could use any brand of chocolate - I just feel that if you use a good quality chocolate, it is like a good wine - the recipe turns out nicer. 

So, my lovelies, any dark chocolate will work on this recipe, though BEWARE - they are moorish, and will disappear fast!

Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 4 - 6 minutes
Makes: About 18 Florentines

Ingredients
¾ cup sultanas
2 cups Corn Flakes
¾ cup toasted unsalted peanuts, chopped   coarsley
160 ml sweetened condensed milk
150 g dark chocolate (I used Lindt 70%)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180° or 170° if the oven is fan forced.  Line two large trays with baking paper.

Combine the sultanas, corn flakes, peanuts, and cherries in a large bowl.

Next, add the sweetened condensed milk -and if you are like me, eat the balance left in the tin!

Mix till the ingredients are all coated with the sweet milk.

Drop a rounded tablespoon of the mixture on to the oven trays, leaving about 4-5 cms in between each.

Bake about 4-6 minutes and then cool on the tray.

Each one should look similar to this.

Wait till they have cooled down and melt the chocolate - I do this in the microwave instead of the traditional way of a saucepan in water -saves time and washing up.

Spread some chocolate on the bottom of each Florentine

 Allow these delightful biscuits to cool to room temperature, which is when the chocolate will set - you could make a pattern with a fork in the chocolate if you wanted it to look a bit nicer!