Salted Caramel Florentines
Prep. Time:
30 minutes
Baking Time:
10-12 minutes per batch
Total Time:
Serves:
36 florentines
During Biscuit Week in Series 11 of The Great British Baking Show—the unprecedented 'bubble' season filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic—Laura Adlington brought her self-confessed salted caramel obsession to the tent. The 31-year-old digital designer from Kent created florentines featuring her favorite flavor combination: buttery salted caramel studded with almonds, pecans, and raisins. Laura chose milk chocolate for her coating, explaining that her biscuits were 'quite salty' and she found dark chocolate 'too rich.' While Prue praised the 'pretty classic Florentine' with its 'quite good' snap, Paul's feedback was clear: 'I love that for flavors. I think the issue is you want something bitter. If you just kept it to dark chocolate underneath, you would have been on a winner.' Laura went on to become a Series 11 finalist alongside Peter Sawkins and Dave Friday, winning Star Baker in Pastry Week with her stunning 'Garden of Kent' botanical caged pie.
Chef's Notes: Addressing Judge Feedback
Paul Hollywood's Key Critique: Paul loved Laura's flavors but specifically noted the florentines needed "something bitter" underneath. He stated clearly: "If you just kept it to dark chocolate underneath, you would have been on a winner." This recipe uses 60–70% dark chocolate as the base coating to provide that essential bitter contrast to the sweet, salty caramel.
Prue Leith on Texture: Prue praised Laura's florentines as "a pretty classic Florentine" with good snap. The key to achieving proper snap is baking until the entire surface is golden (not just edges), then cooling completely before testing. Underbaked florentines remain chewy.
The Salt Balance: Laura described herself as a "salted caramel addict" and noted her biscuits were "quite salty." The flaky sea salt appears twice in this recipe — once in the caramel base and again as a finishing touch on the chocolate — to honor her bold approach while the dark chocolate provides balance.
Why Dark Chocolate Works: The bitter notes in dark chocolate (60–70% cacao) create a flavor bridge between the sweet caramel and the salt. Milk chocolate, while delicious, lacks the intensity to cut through the richness, leaving the palate fatigued.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Storage: Store florentines in an airtight container at cool room temperature, layered between sheets of parchment paper, for up to 1 week. Do not refrigerate unless necessary, as condensation can affect the chocolate finish.
Freezing: Uncoated florentines freeze beautifully for up to 2 months. Freeze in single layers, then stack with parchment between layers. Thaw at room temperature before coating with chocolate.
Make-Ahead Strategy: Bake and cool florentines up to 3 days ahead; store uncoated in an airtight container. Coat with chocolate the day of serving for the best appearance.
Humid Weather: In high humidity, florentines may lose their snap. Store with a silica gel packet or in the freezer, bringing to room temperature just before serving.
Variations
Classic Candied Peel Florentines: Replace raisins with ¼ cup each finely chopped candied orange peel and candied ginger for a traditional European approach.
Tropical Florentines: Substitute macadamia nuts for pecans and use chopped dried mango and coconut flakes instead of raisins. Coat with white chocolate.
Cherry Almond Florentines: Use all sliced almonds and substitute dried sour cherries for the raisins. Add ¼ teaspoon almond extract to the caramel.
Espresso Florentines: Add 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder to the caramel base. Use dark chocolate only for coating.
Spiced Florentines: Add ½ teaspoon ground ginger and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon to the flour. Use crystallized ginger in place of raisins.
Giant Sharing Florentine: Pour entire batch onto one lined sheet, spread thin, and bake 15–18 minutes. Cool, coat with chocolate, and break into shards.
Ingredients
Instructions
PREPARE YOUR WORKSPACE:
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven. Preheat to 350°F (180°C / 160°C fan). Line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper—this is essential as the caramel is extremely sticky.
Roughly chop the pecans into pieces about the size of sliced almonds. Chop the golden raisins to prevent them from creating overly large pockets. Combine the sliced almonds, chopped pecans, and chopped raisins in a bowl and set aside.
MAKE THE CARAMEL BASE:
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, and golden syrup. Place over medium heat and stir constantly until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves completely.
Once dissolved, stop stirring and let the mixture come to a gentle boil. Allow it to bubble for exactly 1 minute—this develops the caramel flavor without burning. Remove from heat immediately.
Carefully stir in the heavy cream (it will bubble up vigorously) and the flaky sea salt. The mixture should be smooth and glossy.
Add the flour to the caramel, stirring until no lumps remain. Fold in the prepared nuts and raisins until evenly distributed. The mixture will be loose and sticky—this is correct.
SHAPE AND BAKE:
Working quickly while the mixture is still warm, drop level teaspoons of batter onto your prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 3 inches (7.5cm) apart. These spread significantly during baking. You should get about 12 per standard baking sheet.
Use the back of a wet spoon or wet fingers to gently press each mound into a rough disc about 1½ inches (4cm) in diameter. Don't worry about perfection—they will spread and even out.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. The florentines are done when they are golden brown throughout (not just at the edges) and bubbling has nearly subsided. The centers should appear set, not wet.
Watch carefully in the final minutes. Underbaked florentines will be chewy rather than crisp; overbaked ones become bitter. The color should be an even caramel-gold, darker at the very edges.
Let the florentines cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes—they are too fragile to move while hot. Once they begin to firm up, transfer to wire racks using a thin spatula. They will continue to crisp as they cool.
Once fully cooled (about 20 minutes), test one florentine by breaking it. It should snap cleanly with a satisfying crack. If it bends or feels chewy, return the batch to the oven for 2-3 more minutes.
TEMPER AND APPLY THE CHOCOLATE:
For a professional finish with proper snap and shine, temper your chocolate. Melt two-thirds of the chopped dark chocolate in a double boiler or in 30-second microwave intervals, stirring between each, until it reaches 115°F (46°C). Remove from heat and add the remaining third of chocolate, stirring constantly until it melts and the temperature drops to 88-90°F (31-32°C).
Turn each cooled florentine flat-side up (the bottom becomes the presentation side). Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread a thin, even layer of tempered dark chocolate over the flat surface, bringing it just to the edges.
Before the chocolate sets, drag a fork through the chocolate in a wavy pattern—this classic florentine decoration helps the chocolate adhere and creates visual interest.
If desired, temper the milk chocolate using the same method and drizzle thin lines across the dark chocolate base for Laura's original two-chocolate approach.
While the chocolate is still tacky, sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt over each florentine for extra salted caramel punch.
Place chocolate-side up on parchment-lined sheets. Let set at cool room temperature (68-72°F / 20-22°C) for at least 30 minutes, or refrigerate for 10 minutes if your kitchen is warm.
