A sweet tradition

HOW TO BAKE FLORENTINES

Makes 12-15

60g butter

60g brown sugar

60g golden syrup

60g slivered almonds

60g candied peel

30ml chopped cherries

60g flour

150g dark chocolate, melted

Step 1:

Combine butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring the mixture continuously with a wooden spoon until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to the boil and remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Step 2:

Add almonds, peel, cherries and flour and stir together well until all the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated and coated with syrup.

Step 3:

Place teaspoonfuls of mixture on a lightly greased baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between each biscuit to leave room for spreading. Bake at 180°C for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

Step 4

Remove from the oven and leave a few minutes before carefully transferring biscuits to a cooling rack. Break chocolate into pieces and place in a heat-proof bowl. Place over boiling water and allow to melt. Using a spatula, spread the underside of each Florentine with a little chocolate and place them back on the cooling rack, chocolate side up, to set.

Store in an air-tight container.

BRANDY SNAPS

Makes 18

60g butter

60g light brown sugar

60g syrup

60g flour

2ml ground ginger

2ml lemon juice

250ml cream

10-15ml brandy

sifted icing sugar

Combine butter, sugar and syrup in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.

Let the mixture cool slightly before adding the sifted flour and ginger. Mix well and add lemon juice.

Place well-spaced teaspoonfuls of mixture onto a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 160°C, for 8-10 minutes or until the biscuits are spread out and a lovely golden colour. Remove from the oven and let stand a few minutes until the biscuits begin to firm up. Using an egg lifter, lift the biscuit from the baking sheet, turn over and roll around the handle of a lightly oiled wooden spoon. Once set, slip out the spoons. Repeat with remaining mixture. When cold, store in an air-tight container until ready to use.

To serve: Whip cream until stiff and beat in the brandy. Spoon cream into a piping bag fitted with a narrow plain nozzle and pipe cream into the brandy snaps. Dust with a little icing sugar and serve as a teatime treat or a dessert.

GINGER BISCUITS

An old fashioned favourite. Makes 24

180g butter

250ml light brown sugar

1 extra large egg, lightly beaten

60ml treacle

500ml flour

5ml bicarbonate of soda

pinch salt

10ml ground ginger

extra light brown sugar for sprinkling

Using an electric beater, cream butter and sugar until light and creamy. Gradually beat in egg and treacle.

Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and ginger and add to the creamed mixture. Mix to a stiff dough. Wrap in cling wrap and chill in fridge. Pinch off pieces of dough the size of a golf ball and roll into balls, flatten with the greased underside of a glass and press top side into extra sugar. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 180°C for 12-15 minutes.

Cool on a cooling rack.

• This article was originally published on page 25 of The Star on October 26, 2009

Source : babynet