White Chocolate Ginger Florentines Recipes

CARAMELISED WHITE CHOCOLATE FLORENTINES

Steps:

• To make the florentines, heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Heat the butter and sugar together in a pan until the sugar dissolves. Mix in the flour then add the nuts, mixed peel, sultanas and cherries, and put teaspoonfuls of the mixture quite widely spaced onto the baking sheet and flatten slightly. You may have to do this in 2 batches depending on the size of the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 140C/120C/gas 1.
• While the florentines are still hottish, neaten up the edges using the side of a knife or a round cutter. Let them cool completely.
• To caramelise the chocolate, put the chocolate into an ovenproof baking dish and into the oven. Cook for 40-45 minutes, taking out every 10 minutes to give it a good stir. If it looks a little grainy, mix really well and it will come back together. It should gradually melt and take on a caramel colour. Once you reach this stage, take it out, give it a good stir, then use a small spatula or spoon to spread over the flat side of the florentines. Sprinkle with a little sea salt, if you like, then leave to set and cool completely.

WHITE CHOCOLATE FLORENTINE COOKIES

Steps:

• Position oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 325°F/163°C. Line a large 17 x 12 inch (43 x 30 cm) baking or cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
• To peel the almonds: Over high heat, bring a saucepan of water to a boil.Add the almonds and boil for 1 minute (no longer because they will soften). Drain and rinse with cold water to cool and stop them from cooking. Spread onto a towel and rub them until the peels come off. Dry well.
• Add the peeled almonds to a food processor or blender and pulse until finely chopped.
• In a mixing bowl, stir together the almonds, flour and dried orange.
• To a small saucepan add the sugar, cream, corn syrup and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture comes to a rolling boil and the sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to simmer for 1 minute.
• Remove from the heat and add the mixture to the almond mix along with the vanilla. Stir until combined. Allow to cool until it is cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.
• Using a teaspoon measuring spoon, portion out 1 teaspoon of dough and roll into a ball using your hands. Roll the balls as round as you can, this will ensure nice round cookies. If the dough seems dry and crumbly, simply put a ball of the dough your warm hand it will soften so you can shape.
• Place the dough balls 6-inches (15 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheet. They spread to 3-inches (7 ½ cm) in diameter. You'll need to work in batches to fit them your baking sheet without melting into each other.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. If they join together, use a sharp knife to separate while they are hot and soft on the baking sheet as they will harden very quickly.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes until they are no longer soft, then transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate and microwave in 10 second increments, stirring in between until melted. Be careful not to burn.
• Take a cooled cookie, spread the chocolate on one side, take another cookie and make a sandwich, press carefully as they are delicate. Repeat with all cookies.
• If you would like to drizzle chocolate on the top, put the melted chocolate into a small ziptop bag. Snip of a very tiny piece of the corner and this will allow you to get the perfect drizzle.
• Allow the cookies to cool and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

WHITE CHOCOLATE & GINGER FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup together in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring for 8-10 mins until smooth and combined. Turn off the heat and whisk in the flour, then the ginger, almonds, pistachios, orange zest and a pinch of salt.
• Scoop 10-12 tablespoons of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving room between each for spreading. Bake for 10 mins until golden, then leave to cool on the sheets for 2 mins until firm enough to lift onto a wire rack. Leave to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining florentine mixture.
• Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn't touch the water, or in the microwave in 30-second bursts. Carefully flip the florentines over on the wire rack. Spoon the chocolate onto the bases and gently spread it to the edges. When the chocolate has cooled a little, use a fork to draw wavy lines in it, if you like. Leave to set completely (for about 1 hr in a cool room). Will keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

CHOCOLATE-GLAZED FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Combine the almond flour, all-purpose flour and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Combine the sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup and butter in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar is dissolved; continue to boil 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the sugar mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Set aside until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes.
• Roll rounded tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Arrange at least 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the cookies spread out and turn golden brown, 10 to 11 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Make the glaze: Microwave the semisweet chocolate and white chocolate in separate microwave-safe bowls in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth. Transfer the white chocolate to a small resealable bag. Flip the cookies over so the smooth side is up. Spread each cookie with a thin layer of semisweet chocolate. Snip a corner of the white chocolate bag and pipe lines on the semisweet chocolate; drag a toothpick across the lines. Let set, about 2 hours.

FLORENTINES I

Steps:

• Mix flour, soda and salt. Cream 1/4 cup butter or margarine. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add corn syrup and egg. Blend well.
• Stir in flour mixture, coconut and vanilla. Drop by half teaspoonfuls onto greased backing sheets, leaving 2 inches between. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) about 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute, remove quickly and finish cooling on racks (if wafer hardens, return briefly to oven).
• Melt chocolate and 1 tablespoon butter in pan over very low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Drizzle over cookies. Enjoy!

WHITE CHOCOLATE GINGERSNAPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cream 2 cups sugar, oil, molasses, and salt together in a bowl.
• Whisk flour, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon together in a separate bowl and mix into the creamed mixture. Scrape the bowl during the process and try not to overmix.
• Roll dough into 1-inch balls, then roll the balls in remaining sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are set and golden, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the cookies halfway through the process so they don't bake unevenly. It's really important not to overbake so the middles stay mushy. Immediately remove the parchment paper from the cookie sheet so the cookies stop baking, and after 2 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Place white chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Drizzle cookies with white chocolate and immediately sprinkle with chopped candied ginger. You want the still-liquid chocolate to grab the candied ginger.