great tastes. great stories.
Chocolate florentines with pomegranate molasses and sour cherries are chewy and tangy, just the thing to add elegance at the end of a meal. Equally good with a cup of olive leaf infusion for an afternoon pause. The chocolate is not just indulgent, it pairs so well with the sour cherries and the pomegranate molasses. However, you can of course skip the chocolate painting stage. Feel free to substitute sour cherries with cranberries or currants. They’re a bit sweeter but just as chewy.
We based ours on the florentine recipe in Nigella Lawson‘s How to be a domestic goddess. Instead of using double cream, we added Zejd’s pomegranate molasses. Not a lot, but enough to add tartness and bind things together. The mixture is fairly dry, pressing the almonds into a ball as you go helps to stick them together. The citrusy sumac goes so well with the pomegranate molasses, for those who already have it in their cupboard. The flecks of this spice mixed through the almonds, add another layer of sharpness. Dark chocolate, melted and spread on the base, is a regal combination with sour cherries.
Since they don’t take long to make or cook, these come in handy as an emergency pudding. Perhaps the Domestic Goddess herself would serve with some vanilla ice cream!
makes about 16
100g almonds, flaked (if you’d like to add a bit more colour reduce the almonds to 80g and add 20g of sliced pistachios)
40g sour cherries, (chopped in half if they look big) or currants or cranberries
25g butter
50g caster sugar
15g plain flour
2 tablespoons of Zejd pomegranate molasses
1 tsp Zejd sumac (optional)
75g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
These would make a beautiful gift, wrapped up in some tissue paper and tied with a ribbon. Alternatively, put your feet up and enjoy them with a cup of olive leaf infusion!
