Florentines
It never ceases to amaze me that sometimes it’s the simplest of recipes that yield the most tastiest of results. I’ve been known to have spent hours, even days on very elaborate desserts for birthdays and other special events only to have it taste yummy, but mediocre at best. Too sweet or not enough complexity in the flavours seems to be trend which I find ironic considering the amount of time that has gone into creating it.
Delving deeper I guess you could use this as a metaphor for a lot of things in life. I have spent a very large chunk of my early adult life basing my worth and success on the degree of “hustle and bustle” I was enduring day in and day out. It’s very widely known fact that media has created a sigma based around a “successful main character woman” and what she should look like. It’s only now as I’m approaching my 30s that I’m starting to see the ridiculousness that is this concept.
Every single woman - or man for that matter - should be unique in the way they view their successes. A woman at the top of their industry profession, sitting high in one of their CBD’s tallest skyscrapers is really no better off than she who milks cows for a living. The success and sense of self worth achieved should be equal between the two if they are the career that drives them and makes them truly happy.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that the older I get, the more I am starting to appreciate what I have, regardless if it’s considered unsuccessful by others or even the younger me. I have tried the hustle and bustle of a raging city life and it burnt me out within 3 years of it. You know the one, the one the media portrays all young ladies to aspire to be *ahem - I’m looking at you Carrie Bradshaw and Blair Waldorf.
Simple is best, or at least it is for me. Working towards an uncommon goal does not make your dreams and aspirations any less worthy of those with ambitions to walk on the moon. It’s taken me a while to realise this and sometimes I still find myself falling down the rabbit hole of where I should be, or how much money I should be making for this stage in my life. I have the time to plant lettuces, bake in my kitchen, stop to enjoy the late afternoon sunshine in a creek bed, have long dinners with my fiance.. and this is what makes me happy. Wouldn’t it be nice if this was labelled “successful” as well? It would’ve prevented a lot of anxiety in just about every girl my age in their younger years.
Media will not change these messages they send to girls and young women. It hasn’t changed for the past 18 years since I was exposed to it so I doubt it will in the next 18 years to come. As a society we are more aware which is great news for the generations to come. Should the day ever come were my daughter sits me down to tell me she wants to polish rocks and live and a tent for a living because it makes her truly happy. I’ll sit her down, give her a Florentine and tell her: “Go for it.”
Floretines
Ingredients
- 120g caster sugar
- 70g honey
- 70ml thickened cream
- Pinch of salt
- 90g glace cherries - chopped
- 225g flaked almonds
- 100g hazelnuts - roasted and chopped
Instructions
- Line 3 large baking trays with baking paper and set aside. Pre-heat oven to 160°C.
- Place sugar, honey, cream and salt into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Allow mixture to come to the boil before cooking until the temperature reaches between 118-121°C. Remove from the heat and stir through the remaining ingredients.
- Use a cookie scoop or a 1 tablespoon measure to form balls of mixture onto the prepared trays. Allow for plenty of spreading room - about 6 to a tray.
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until evenly golden brown.
- When baked, remove the tray from the oven and using a fork, carefully push down the nut and fruit mass evenly in the middle of each biscuit. If you like, use a large round biscuit cutter or drinking glass placed over the top of the Florentine. Circle the cutter in a way that brings the melted caramel back to the center of the biscuit to make them more even.
- Repeat with remaining trays. Allow Floretines to cool completely on the trays before eating or storing in an airtight container lined with baking paper.
Notes
These biscuits by nature can become quite sticky in hot humid temperatures. Storing them in a container lined with baking paper will ensure that they won't get stuck to the bottom when you go to remove them.
Traditionally, Florentines have a thin layer of dark chocolate covering the base of each biscuit. Feel free to dip them in chocolate before wiping off the excess with a knife and allowing them to set on a tray lined with paper. I quite like the richness of the Floretine without the chocolate but it's certainly another lovely option.
This recipe is an adaptation of the lovely Emelia Jackson's Florentines from her debut book - "First, Cream the Butter and Sugar".