Dainty almond florentines always remind me of Christmas, although they are delicious at any time of year. The combination of nuts, candied fruit, sugar and chocolate work perfectly in this cheesecake recipe, with a florentine base and florentines on top of each mini cheesecake. You can add other ingredients to the florentine recipe – such as a few spoonfuls of pistachios, dried apricot pieces or chopped preserved stem ginger – if you wish.
FOR THE FLORENTINES
15 glacé/candied cherries
80 g/1 cup flaked/slivered almonds
100 g/¾ cup golden or flame raisins
30 g/¼ cup plain/all-purpose flour
80 ml/⅓ cup condensed milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
FOR THE FILLING
250 g/generous 1 cup cream cheese
250 g/generous 1 cup ricotta
200 g/scant 1 cup condensed milk
2 eggs
80 g/3 oz. dark chocolate, melted, to serve
2 large baking sheets, greased and lined a 12-hole mini cheesecake or muffin pan, greased
MAKES 12
Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3.
Begin by preparing the florentines. Chop the cherries into quarters, then put them in a bowl with the almonds and raisins. Sift in the flour and stir in the condensed milk, butter, cinnamon and vanilla. Place 24 small flat rounds of the mixture (about the size of your cheesecake pan holes) onto the prepared baking sheets and bake in the preheated oven for 8–12 minutes until lightly golden brown. Leave the florentines on the baking sheets to cool and leave the oven on to bake the cheesecakes, if you are preparing them straight away.
For the filling, whisk together the cream cheese, ricotta and condensed milk in a large mixing bowl, then whisk in the eggs one at a time.
Reserve the 12 neatest florentines for the tops of the cheesecakes. Place one of the remaining florentines in the base of each hole of the cheesecake pan. If the florentines are too large, break them into smaller pieces and press a few into each hole. Spoon the filling mixture into the 12 holes of the pan until they are almost full. (Depending on the size of your pan you may not need all of the mixture.) Bake the cheesecakes in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes until they are golden brown and still wobble slightly in the centre. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
When cool, remove the cheesecakes from the pan, releasing the sides of the cheesecake using a round-bladed knife. Spread a little melted chocolate over the top of each cheesecake and top with a florentine. Drizzle any remaining chocolate over the tops in thin lines, then chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.