Ginger and Almond Florentines

Although these are sweet and chewy, they have less sugar than one would expect and the piquancy of the candied ginger perfectly cuts the richness. I sometimes use hazelnuts, brazil nuts and pecans instead of almonds to tie in with different puddings. Of course, they are also great eaten with nothing more than a cup of tea.

Preparation time :	15 minutes
Cooking time :	8-10 minutes, plus cooling
Total time :	23 minutes to 25 minutes

Makes: 12

Ingredients

35g unsalted butter
90ml double cream
60g golden caster sugar
75g flaked almonds
75g crystallised ginger, roughly chopped
25g sultanas
5g plain flour

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Line 2 large baking sheets with non-stick baking parchment and set aside. Put the butter, cream and sugar in a small saucepan and place over a low heat. Slowly bring to a boil, so the sugar dissolves.
2. Remove from the heat and fold in the remaining ingredients, mixing gently but thoroughly.
3. Place 12 dessertspoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets, at 4cm intervals to allow for spreading. Bake for 8–10 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool for five minutes, then, using a palette knife, slide them onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.