Cook the Book: Florentine Bars

Name: Cook the Book: Florentine Bars
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 40
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 57 grams bittersweet chocolate, about 60%, melted; 237 milliliters blanched sliced almonds; 118 milliliters dried cherries, chopped; 59 milliliters all-purpose flour; 79 milliliters heavy cream; 3 Tbsps honey; 118 milliliters diced orange peel; 0 teaspoons salt; 40 servings Shortbread; 158 milliliters sugar; 6 Tbsps (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces; 1 teaspoons vanilla extract

You can never have too many dessert recipes, so give Cook the Book: Florentine Bars a try. One portion of this dish contains roughly 3g of protein, 11g of fat, and a total of 216 calories. This recipe covers 4% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. This recipe serves 40. Head to the store and pick up honey, heavy cream, shortbread, and a few other things to make it today. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes roughly 45 minutes.

Instructions

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350%deg;F. Coat a 13 x 9-inch pan with nonstick spray, line the bottom with parchment paper cut to fit, then spray the parchment.

Equipment you will use

Baking Paper

Oven

Frying Pan

Whisk the flour and salt together in a small bowl to aerate and combine; set aside.

Ingredients you will need

All Purpose Flour

Salt

Equipment you will use

Whisk

Bowl

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter with the flat paddle attachment on medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Equipment you will use

Stand Mixer

Bowl

Add the sugar and continue to to beat until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes more. Beat in the vanilla. Gradually add the flour, mixing until just blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Pat the crust into an even layer in the prepared pan.

Ingredients you will need

Vanilla

Crust

All Purpose Flour

Sugar

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Frying Pan

Bake the crust for 20 to 25 minutes, or until just beginning to turn very light golden brown along the edges; it should be dry to the touch. Prepare the filling while the crust is baking.

Ingredients you will need

Crust

Equipment you will use

Oven

Put the butter, sugar, cream, and honey in a medium saucepan, attach a candy thermometer, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts. Turn the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and cook to 235°F. The mixture will have thickened and the surface will be covered with large bubble.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Candy

Cream

Honey

Sugar

Equipment you will use

Candy Thermometer

Sauce Pan

Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts, fruit, and flour until well combined.

Ingredients you will need

All Purpose Flour

Fruit

Nuts

Pour the filling over the partially baked crust and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and has turned light golden brown all over. The color might be darker around the edges. Cool completely in the pan set on a rack.

Ingredients you will need

Crust

Equipment you will use

Oven

Frying Pan

Put the melted chocolate in a parchment cone and make freeform zigzag patterns all over the bars. Chill to set the chocolate; cut into 40 bars (5 x 8). Refrigerate for up to 1 week in an airtight container in single layers separated by parchment paper. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Ingredients you will need

Chocolate