Gluten free cranberry and white chocolate florentines

I adore florentines, they are so quick and easy to make and they make a great gift if you package them up carefully in some cellophane or pop in a nice jar. Plus they are really easy to change the flavour by adding in different fruits and nuts or changing the chocolate. When I had to cut gluten from my diet I tried to make these without adding any flour and I found I actually prefer the taste and texture. They are very delicate when first out of the oven but will firm up once cold and then the chocolate also helps hold them together. My particular favourite is cranberry and white chocolate but you can play around with flavours. This quantity makes about 12- 15 florentines so if you want a few to give away just double the quantities. 

Ingredients

25g butter

25g soft light brown sugar ( I use light  muscovado sugar)

100g Condensed milk

150g flaked almonds ( you can change this combo if you want to by adding any mixed dried fruit, nuts or desiccated coconut 

50g cranberries 

100g white chocolate

Variation

Ginger and plain chocolate- substitute the 50g cranberries for 50g stem ginger or crystalized ginger, chopped into small pieces. 

substitute the 100g white chocolate for 100g plain chocolate or they are also delicious with white chocolate and ginger. 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180c/ gas mark 4

2. Melt the butter and sugar in a non stick saucepan, stirring until mixed.

3. Add the condensed milk and put back on the heat until it starts to bubble while stirring.

4. Remove from the heat and stir in the almonds and cranberries.

5. Place spoonfuls onto 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper allowing enough space in between for spreading. You should get between 12 and 15 florentines out of the mix.

6. Bake for around 12 minutes but keep an eye on them after 10 minutes and as soon as they turn golden brown they are done. You may need to bake the trays one at a time.

7. Leave on the baking trays until the are cool and have firmed up.

8. Once cool you can put the chocolate on the bottoms of the florentines. Melt the chocolate in a small bowl over a pan of boiling water. 

9. Spread spoonfuls of chocolate on the bottoms and then leave to set a little with the chocolate uppermost before marking with a fork in the distinctive wavy lines. 

10. Leave to set completely.