Festive Florentines

Christmas is coming, there's no getting away from it. Just 5 weeks today we'll be frantically wrapping presents and peeling veg ready for the big day. As usual I'll be giving a few edible homemade gifts, once I figure out what I'm going to be making. The lovely Ruth Clemens from The Pink Whisk (I once travelled with her to a book launch and waffled for most of the journey about nonsense!) has teamed up with Persil to create some festive family recipes. At the weekend I made a variation of her Florentines, which turned out great so I'll definitely be making more just before Christmas to give away as gifts.

I decided to make it even more festive and use dried cranberries, and substituted the flour for ground almonds and added a little ginger.

Festive Florentines - makes 12

50g Golden syrup

50g Stork baking liquid

50g Demerara sugar

50g Ground Almonds

45g Flaked almonds

50g dried Cranberries

50g Sultanas

1 tsp ground Ginger

150g Milk chocolate

• Preheat the oven to 180 C and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
• Heat the golden syrup, stork baking liquid and sugar in a pan over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved
• Remove from the heat and stir in the ground almonds, flaked almonds, cranberries, sultanas and ginger. Mix well.
• Spoon onto the baking sheets, spaced well apart - 6 per tray.
• Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the trays for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once cooled, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water, or in the microwave on short bursts
• Coat the back of each florentine with the melted chocolate and allow too set.