pineapple & sumac florentines

the penny's kitchen florentine

every christmas table needs at least one treat that feels a little different, and these florentines are it. chewy, glossy, full of pineapple and toasted almonds, with a tiny pinch of sumac to give the sweetness a little tang

sumac is a deep red spice with a bright, lemony flavour that makes everything zing

they’re based on the florentine recipe i reverse engineered last year, with a typical penny’s kitchen zhuzz

perfect with coffee, wrapped in a little stack for gifting, or stashed in the cupboard to eat when no one is looking. they’re bright, a little nutty, and unapologetically delicious

recipe

yields 6 big biscuits

ingredients

32g dried pineapple, finely diced

120g almonds, chopped

16g flour 

48g butter

60g brown sugar

big pinch salt

1 tsp cream 

2 tsp sumac

method

preheat the oven to 180°C

line a baking tray with baking paper

toss together the finely diced dried pineapple (32g), chopped almonds (120g), flour (16g), and sumac (2 tsp) in a medium mixing bowl

add the butter (48g) and brown sugar (60g) to a small saucepan over medium-high heat

bring to a gentle boil, then stir in the cream (1 tsp) and a big pinch of salt

immediately pour the hot butter mixture over the pineapple, almonds, flour, and sumac

stir quickly to combine everything into a sticky, glossy mixture

spoon small mounds onto the prepared baking tray

flatten each slightly with the back of a spoon or spatula

bake for 9–10 minutes until the edges are golden and the centres are glossy

transfer the tray to the freezer to cool completely and set