Gluten free Florentine Slab recipe

Gluten free Florentine squares on red and white cloth

This gluten free recipe is a quick-and-easy take on florentines that thumbs its nose at formality. Just slide the whole florentine out of its baking tin on to a chunky wooden board and pop it in the centre of the table for guests to break bits off.

Suitable for: gluten free

Serves: 10+

Gluten free florentine slices on red gingham napkin

Melted butter, for brushing
300 g/10½ oz dark chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp almond oil
200 g/7 oz condensed milk
115 g/4 oz natural colour glace cherries, chopped
75 g/2¾ oz dried cranberries
50 g/1¾ oz raisins
50 g/1¾ oz mixed candied peel
½ tsp salt
50 g/1¾ oz almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
40 g/1½ oz whole peanuts, toasted
25 g/1 oz pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped
25 g/1 oz sunflower seeds, toasted

Cut a rectangle of baking parchment to line the bottom of a 30 x 23 x 4cm baking tin. Pop the parchment into the tin and brush it and the tin liberally with melted butter.

Melt the chocolate with the almond oil in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, stirring until smooth (or in a microwave). Spread the melted chocolate evenly all over the bottom of the tin. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour, or until completely set.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Put the condensed milk into a mixing bowl and add the glace cherries, cranberries, raisins, mixed peel and salt. Mix together gently with a wooden spoon, then add the toasted almonds, peanuts, pistachios and sunflower seeds and mix well.

Spread the mixture over the set chocolate. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until firm to the touch and golden brown. Leave to cool, then return to the fridge for 2 hours to reset the chocolate.

To serve, turn out on to a board and peel off the baking parchment.

Honeybuns gluten free baking book front cover

Taken from Honeybuns Gluten-Free Baking by Emma Goss-Custard, published by Pavilion.  For further information about this and other gluten free recipes from our book, do take a look at our Book FAQ’s.