Florentines

Yesterday's moulded chocolates and I didn't even eat a single one of them. What resolve. haha.

Stella and I have come to an agreement. We shall make our own lunch on every school day. Eat-out lunches are simply to expensive. One plate of wanton mee costs about $8.50 here. So what if they serve extra large portion? We incur wastage and lack of taste since they give so much mee and so little sauce. I don't get the chinese food stalls here. The cafeteria in our school isn't any better. One main lunch costs $7.50. It is similar to what I get in canteens, only extra large.

I can't go blowing $10 everyday on lunches. It is very hurting to my wallet. Therefore, comes the solution of bento lunches. :D



Stella and I alternate our bento-making days. I make bento for one week, she makes bento for the following week. So yeah. Today's bento was quite yummy. I made stir-fry broccoli with pork, tamago and pumpkin rice. As you all know, I can't chew very well with one side of my gum swollen and bleeding so I cooked my rice and broccoli to extra soft and gave most of my pork to Stella. I am turning vegetarian. -_-

Florentines for today's lesson. Florentines originated from Italy. It is a cookie sort of chocolate. It has a wafer thin layer of almond cookies coated twice with couverture chocolate. And with the second layer of chocolate coat, it traditionally had that wave design. :) Sounds yummy? Unfortunately, I am to swear off baked and sweet goods for now. And more unfortunately, I broke my oath. haha. Half-way through practical, I got unbearably hungry and the baked Florentines aroma is just wafting about the room. (I originally planned to survive on 1 banana till lunch. haha. it is a bound to fail plan.) Then Chef Karin piped: eat the chocolates!

Yes! Why not? It is ridiculous for people in the kitchen to get hungry for food is all around you. So I grabbed one of my Florentines and stuff it into my mouth. Bad bad move. My gum swelled doubly, so much that when I close my mouth, I can feel my lower gum on my upper gum. Hallelujah. As a result, I gave most of my pork to Stella during lunch. I can't even chew past pork. Dammit!











Recipe
Florentines~ makes about 14-16 little tins

75g unsalted butter
75g caster sugar
20g honey
25ml cream
25g glucose
few drops vanilla essence
170g flaked almonds
15g mixed peel -omit it if you don't like
25g glace cherries -omit of you don't like
10g bakers flour


1. Cook butter, sugar, honey, cream, vanilla and glucose until boiling.
2. Add remaining ingrediants.
3. Fill a thin layer onto tins and bake at 180 degree Celsius for about 10mins or until golden.
4. When cool, coat one side with tempered couverture chocolate.

I omitted mix peels and glace cherries. I find them too hard and chew-resistant when I bite into them after baking. Also, I dropped the honey because I accidentally added too much glucose. Still works though. And traditionally, Florentines are coated with only one type of chocolate. It is not very nice to give two different coloured layers like we did. Owells.

End.