A creamy dreamy crunchy sweet rainy afternoon with a
Florentine and my fave brew coffee. Was so inspiring that I am writing about
it! Sometimes I wish had a job of being a judge for chocolate…, what a dream
job that would be. Sigh.
Florentines are a delicious mixture of toasted nuts and
candied fruit that are coated with a sweet sticky mixture of honey and sugar
and baked until golden brown and bubbly. The crowning touch is a layer of
melted chocolate. These palm-sized rounds of brittle are covered in thinly
sliced almonds.
When you hear the name 'Florentine', you instantly think
it must be from Florence Italy. Unfortunately, I don’t have the vaguest clue
where is its origin from. I know its very popular in Europe and comes in many
forms.
My introduction to Florentine was by my brother who absolutely
dotes on these, and I think he discovered this sweet delight in London.
One form of a Florentine consists of a layer of pre baked
pastry, topped with the nut and candied fruit mixture, and finished with melted
chocolate. Another form of Florentine is a cookie, thin caramelized disc of
candied fruit and nuts also with a layer of chocolate on one side. And then there
is the Florentine La Dolce Vita - a thick layer of caramelized fruit and nuts
that is baked in a cake pan and finished with a layer of melted chocolate. Some
people here call it “chikki” (??!!)….
Taste one if you haven’t, and then tell me, how awesome
was it really…have it with a latte or a black coffee, the combine is delicious.
A heads up to all coffee lovers who read this post: Italians
eat very well, and quite rightly take great pride in their cuisine. Possibly
one of the most offensive ways of ending a meal is by asking for a cappuccino (
especially when with the Italiano’s). Coffee to them is really a snack – a large cup of warm milk, and very filling.
Ending your meal with a cappuccino (apart from constituting a violent assault
on your digestive system!) implies that you have not eaten well or
sufficiently. If you cannot manage an espresso then try learning this phrase: “Un
caffè americano con tantissima acqua calda, e un po’ di latte freddo a parte.”
(An espresso coffee with lots of hot water, and some cold milk on the side)!!!
Any Italian waiter worth his salt will call this “dishwater” once out of your
hearing...or perhaps even well within your hearing! But you will get
something approaching an Anglo-Saxon watery coffee that you can drink, and that
doesn’t (drastically) upset the cook or the hosts! J
