Image is for illustrative purposes only.
This is the simplest possible way to make florentine crackling: a ready-made powdered florentine base, which already carries the sugar, glucose, butter and milk solids, stirred together with flaked almonds and baked into a thin golden sheet. As it bakes the powder melts into a caramel that bubbles up around the nuts and sets crisp as it cools.
The finished sheet is brittle, buttery and deeply toasted, and it snaps cleanly. Cut it into triangles, fingers or shards while it is still warm and use it to decorate the tops and sides of cakes and gateaux, or break it up and press it around a cream-coated cake for a crunchy jacket. It also makes a good base layer under a mousse, where it keeps its bite for a day or two.
Ingredients
The weights in the recipe table below will yield the following 'weight per unit' and 'number of units'. If you would like to change the recipe to cater to a different 'weight per unit' and/or 'number of units',
you can use the Recipe Calculator Tool below the ingredients table.
Note: The Recipe Calculator Tool is available to subscribers.
Weight Per Unit: 1000
Number of Units: 1
Unit Size: 30 x 40 cm baking tray, spread thin
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WEIGHT
(grams)
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ALTERNATIVE METRIC
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INGREDIENT
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IMAGE
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CONDITION
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A
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500 |
17.6 ounces
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Florentine Mix
Florentine mix is a ready-made caramel base used by pastry kitchens for Florentine biscuits and nut brittles, usually a blend of sugar, glucose, butter, cream and pectin. It melts to a thick caramel that sets hard and crisp once baked and cooled. A homemade version can be made by boiling together equal parts sugar, glucose, butter and cream with a little pectin.
powdered florentine base
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B
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500 |
17.6 ounces
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Flaked Almonds
Flaked almonds are blanched almonds sliced into very thin, flat petals. They toast quickly and evenly, which makes them the traditional nut for florentines and for scattering over cakes and pastries.
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1000
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Recipe Calculator Tool
Using this tool, you can alter this recipe for your own requirements. Use the two fields below to generate new weights for the ingredients above.
STEP 1. Enter your Custom Weight Per Unit
The 'Custom Weight Per Unit' is already loaded with the weight per unit for this recipe but can be changed if required. If all you wish to do is change the number of units (or servings), just leave the current weight per unit.
STEP 2. Enter your Custom Number of Units
This is the number of units (or servings) you want this recipe to yield.
STEP 3. Click Calculate
The new weights for your adjusted recipe will be displayed in the table above.
Method
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STEP
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ACTION
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DETAIL
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CONDITION
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1 |
Pre-heat |
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (355°F) and line a 30 x 40 cm baking tray with baking paper or a silicone mat. |
Paper flat and smooth, with no creases |
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2 |
Mix |
Tip A and B (florentine mix and flaked almonds) into a bowl and stir them together with a spatula until every flake is coated in the powder. If the packet of mix asks for water or cream to be added, follow that instruction here and stir to a loose, sticky mass. |
Evenly coated, no dry powder left at the bottom of the bowl |
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3 |
Spread |
Tip the mixture onto the lined tray and spread it out with a palette knife or the back of a spoon into a single, even layer. |
A thin, open layer about one almond deep; do not heap it up |
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4 |
Bake |
Bake at 180°C (355°F) for about 10 to 14 minutes, turning the tray once halfway so it colours evenly. |
Bubbling all over and an even golden caramel colour; the edges will darken first |
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5 |
Cut |
Let the sheet firm up for a minute or two, then, while it is still warm and pliable, cut it into triangles, fingers or squares with an oiled knife or a pizza wheel. For curved shapes, lift the warm pieces over a rolling pin. |
Still soft enough to cut without shattering, about 2 to 3 minutes out of the oven |
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Cool |
Leave the pieces on the tray to cool completely, then lift them off the paper. |
Hard, crisp and snapping cleanly |
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7 |
Store |
Pack the cooled pieces between sheets of baking paper in an airtight container. |
Airtight and dry; humidity turns the caramel sticky within hours |
Important Notes
The scaled recipe makes about 1 kg of raw mixture, enough for one full 30 x 40 cm tray. The sheet allows for about 5 per cent loss in baking and trimming, so expect roughly 950 g of finished crackling, and a little less again once the broken edges are sorted out.
Spread the mixture thinly. A thick layer stays chewy in the middle instead of setting brittle. Cut while warm: once the caramel is cold it will only shatter. Keep the finished pieces airtight and away from steam or a damp fridge, and place them on a cake as late as possible, as they soften against cream within a few hours.
Tools & Arrangements
Mixing bowl, spatula, 30 x 40 cm baking tray, baking paper or silicone baking mat, palette knife, sharp knife or pizza wheel, cooling rack, airtight container
