Florentines

When you hear the name 'Florentine', you instantly think it must be from Florence Italy. Unfortunately, history does not tell us its true origin. What we do know is that this confection is popular in Europe and that there are different forms of this sweet confection. I have enjoyed it as a cookie, a bar (square), and in cake form. This Florentine I could not resist; a thick layer of caramelized fruit and nuts that is baked in a cake pan and finished with a layer of melted chocolate. Besides being much easier to make than the other two forms, this Florentine is lovely to look at, and even better to eat. It reminds me of another popular Italian confection, Panforte.
Since Florentines contain candied fruit and glace cherries this confection is especially popular during the holiday season. If you want to make it other times of the year you may want to stock up on candied fruits in December, as they are often hard to find other times of the year.


Ingredients:
115 gr. whole blanched almonds
115 gr. whole hazelnuts
115 gr. shelled Brazil nuts
115 gr. candied and chopped fruit
227 gr. glace cherries
45 gr. all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (optional)
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) honey
Chocolate frosting:
90 gr. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vegetable oil


Preheat the oven to 180°. Butter a 23 cm round cake pan and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bakefor 15 minutes or until fragrant and the skins begin to flake. Set aside.
Rinse and dry the candied fruit and glace cherries and place in a large bowl, along with the nuts. Add the flour and spices (if using) and stir until all the fruit and nuts are coated with the flour.
In a small saucepan, warm the sugar and honey over low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the honey mixture to the fruit and nut mixture and stir to combine. Spread into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Once the Florentine has completely cooled, melt the chocolate and vegetable oil in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Spread the melted chocolate over the Florentine and let set before cutting into small wedges. Will keep for about a week in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.