How I Make Cookies and Vegan Florentines

Florentines – I made these vegan!
Preheat fan oven to 170c
– 50g whole glacé cherries (rinsed)
– 50g mixed candied peel
– 100g sultanas
– 200g flaked almonds
– 50g plain flour
– 120g salted butter (I’m using vegan butter)
– 160g golden caster sugar
– 50ml cream (I’m using vegan cream)
– 200g dark chocolate (I’m using vegan chocolate)

1 – Wash cherries.
2 – Finely dice mixed peel and cherries.
3 – add cherries, mixed peel, flour, almonds and sultanas to a bowl.
4 – over a low heat melt the butter and stir in the sugar.
5 – remove from the heat and stir in the cream.
6 – add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix to combine.
7 – add walnut size scoops to a lined baking tray and bake for 13-15 minutes (until golden).
8 – when you remove them from the oven you will need to reshape them (use a circular cookie cutter). Let cool on the trays and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
9 – melt the chocolate then allow to cool until thickened.
10 – spoon chocolate onto the bottom of each Florentine and leave to set.

Chocolate Chip cookies
– 150g salted butter, softened
– 80g dark brown soft sugar
– 80g golden caster sugar
– 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
– 1 large egg
– 230g plain flour
– ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
– ¼ tsp salt
– 160g plain chocolate chips or chunks

Note, if making double or triple chocolate cookies add 30g cocoa powder to the above and reduce flour to 200g.

Note, if making white chocolate and orange add 1 teaspoon of orange extract and the grated zest of half an orange to the above and remove the vanilla.

1 – beat butter and sugar together until smooth.
2 – add vanilla and beat again.
3 – add all other ingredients apart from chocolate chips and mix.
4 – add chocolate chips and stir to combine. Note: you can pop the mix in the fridge at this point and bake the next day, just make sure you wrap it up!
5 – Roll into balls (28-30), chill in the fridge for 30 minutes
6 – Bake in a pre-heated fan oven (170c) for 8—10 minutes or until golden.

If adding chocolate to the bottom of the cookies this is not accounted for in the above ingredients.

7 – Melt the chocolate then allow to cool until thickened.
8 – Spoon chocolate onto the bottom of each cookie and leave to set, or dunk the cookies into the chocolate covering half.