Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Melt the butter in a medium pan over a low heat. Add both sugars, turn the heat up high and stir for 4-5 minutes until smooth and gooey.
Carefully stir in the crème fraîche, as it may spit. It will cause the sugar to harden but just continue stirring over a high heat until dissolved again. Then leave to bubble away for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened.
Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the chopped stem ginger, almonds, cranberries, mixed peel, vanilla extract and bicarbonate of soda.
Drop 15 heaped tablespoons of mixture onto the lined baking sheet, flattening into round discs about 6cm wide. Leave to cool for 10-15 minutes then chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set firm.
When the Florentines are set, snap the chocolate into a small heatproof bowl. Either melt in the microwave in 30 second blasts, stirring between each go, or over a pan of simmering water, shallow enough that the water doesn’t touch the bowl. When melted, remove from the heat and leave to cool to body temperature.
Once cool, spread about 1⁄2 teaspoon of melted chocolate onto the bottom of a Florentine and pop it back on the tray, chocolate side down. Or place on a wire rack so excess chocolate can drip off. Repeat with the remaining biscuits and chocolate, and put in the fridge for 15 minutes to set.
These are now ready to enjoy or will keep for 2-3 days, layered between parchment paper in an airtight container in the fridge.
This recipe is taken from my book No-Bake Baking, available worldwide and on Amazon.
Photo (c) Donal Skehan.