Do you ever wonder why people ask you about certain things? Recently, I have been asked by at least a dozen people whether I’ve read the book “Fifty Shades of Grey.” I started to wonder if I was giving off a vibe that said “she loves bondage.” After the tenth person asked me I turned to Mr NQN and said “Why are they all asking me about that book?” He gave me a look, you know the look that says that you talk too much about the men of True Blood to your friends on Facebook so of course they would ask you about that book…
Initially, I was more interested in the story behind it. I wanted to know how a woman who started off writing Twilight fan fiction parlayed that into a million dollar book deal. Now first time authors in Australia don’t get million dollar book deals (sadly!) and I think she is one of the few that has but that to me was so much more interesting than the idea of the book itself. But then I got the book whose paperback version apparently sold faster than Harry Potter. Although there has been some criticism about the writing style, for me it was compulsive reading. I found myself sitting down to it, just on a quick rest break from the computer to find myself completely engrossed, the sky turning grey and then dark without so much as a glance from me.
What were also completely compulsive and the best partner for a book like this, were these florentines which I nibbled on while reading what Christian Grey wanted to do to Anastasia Steele. I first tried these florentines on our recent trip to South Australia while staying at the gorgeous Australasian circa 1858 hotel. From the moment that I bit into these crunchy, toffeed nutty biscuits I was completely bewitched by these too.
Their crunch is addictive after I finished mine, Mr NQN gallantly handed me his. Once done, I then beseeched chef Juliet Michell for the recipe. She was kind enough to share it with me and one afternoon before commencing the e-book, I baked a batch of these ferociously good cookies. They were easy and ended up being my sustenance that evening in lieu of a proper dinner. You can dip these in chocolate or leave them plain without. If you are a fan of dime bars, brandy snaps or other toffeed nutty bars these might be your downfall or your fifty shades of crunch.
So tell me Dear Reader, have you read Fifty Shades of Grey and what do you think of it? Do you like reading fan fiction? And do you ever ask chefs for their recipes?
Juliet’s Florentines
Recipe by Juliet Michell
Makes about 18 cookies (depending on size)
- 1 cup caster or superfine sugar
- 65g/2 ozs honey
- 50g/1.7ozs butter
- 1/4 cup cream
- 1 cup/100g/3.5 ozs roasted, skinned hazelnuts, chopped*
- 1 cup/100g/3.5 ozs flaked almonds
- 1/2 cup flour
- You will also need a round cutter
From a lighter shade…
To a darker shade
1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Have three trays ready and lined with baking paper. In a medium sized saucepan, add the sugar, honey, butter and cream and stir to dissolve sugar and then simmer for about 6 minutes until darkened in colour.
2. Add both types of nuts as well as flour and stir quickly to combine. Using two tablespoons, make three roughly round shapes with the two tablespoons and place six to a tray wide apart as they will spread. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and quickly, while it is hot, use the round cutter to bring the edges into a circle shape.
Using a circle cutter to bring the hot cookie mixture into a circle
*To roast and skin hazelnuts, place on a tray in a 180C/350F for 10-15 minutes and roast. Remove from oven and place in a clean tea towel and rub the hazelnuts to remove the skin.
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77 Comments | Add your own
That is something I love! Extremely addictive. Your Florentines look wonderful. I’ll have one with a cup of coffee, please… ;-P
Cheers,
Rosa
What a coincidence (well, not really, since the entire world is reading that book);). I’m on book 2. It’s OK, can you really have THAT much…what ever!
I wish there was more of a story than just the sex ever second paragraph, but it is entertaining. I am reading it on my iPhone (I originally bought it for the iPad, but it’s never with me when I want to read, so it’s the iPhone).
I could tell right away I would adore these cookies…what’s not to love about nuts with toffee?
I haven’t read Fifty Shades of Grey, but now I must (and I must make these Florentines to enjoy while I read!).
I remember when I was a teen and attempted to make florentines for the very first time — not the flat ones like these, but the ones you curl up over a wooden spoon handle. Boy, was that a tricky process. Too hot and they burn ya. Too cool and you can’t bend them. Yikes! The use of the metal circle mold is genius. Makes them so neat and perfect.
Yes reading it…had to see what the fuss was all about too, am on the 2nd book and have to read on to see what happens! Didn’t want to like it either but I do.
I recently found some really amazing florentines at the Good Food and Wine show
And have been craving some more since then woo hoo so glad you decided to share this recipe~
I’ve never asked a chef for their recipe because I know I will never be as good as they are lol
Ahhh the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ books…they’re everywhere…but basically its just lol ‘porn-reading’ to me
and nope i haven’t read that yet and i dun think i’d be interested…but I did read fan fictions when i was younger
Almost everyone I’ve met recently has asked me the same question – have you read fifty shades of grey? I haven’t but all bar one of my friends have said it’s brilliant. I love the look of these florentine and can imagine they would be quite addictive to eat!
I haven’t read Fifty Shades of Grey. I have been planning to…just to know what has she accomplished that Judith Mcnaught or Lisa Kleypas or Susan Elizabeth Philips hasn’t….
Those Florentines look yumm.
I have never asked a chef for a recipe, but I really want to know how Yard House makes their seafood Jambalaya.
I don’t think I’ll be able to bring myself to read it – I just wrote a short story on bondage and if 50 Shades of Grey is what people think bondage is, I just may be locked up and have the key thrown away for the smut I’ve written.
Also, E.L James first published 50 shades of blah under her pen name ‘Snowqueens Icedragon’. Ha! Good luck to her though, her success is still very impressive.
These cookies however, look absolutely delicious!
No I haven’t read 50 shades of grey – but jeez, everyone is talking about it aren’t they?
I even saw the funniest sketch about it on Saturday Night Live http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH85EkJPwEk
These look marvelously decadent and I’m a big fan of any cookie involving nuts – especially the ultra crispy kind. These remind me of nut brittle – and my sticky addiction to said brittle at every Christmas
I’ve not read 50 Shades although I’ve seen a lot of food bloggers dedicating posts to said book. But to be fair, I don’t read many books and only made it half-way through the Twilight books before I got tuckered out
And I’ve never asked a chef in a restaurant for a recipe – I’d be much to afraid of the chef’s response 
Everyone keeps telling me to read that too!! Now I know it’s the Twilight thing… These look amazing!
These are also lovely drizzled with dark couverture chocolate! Hope you all enjoy making, eating and sharing them. X Juliet
Australasian1858.com
Never mind the delicious cookies ! Loving the books!!! Have read the first now onto the second book.
These look good and different from a usual florentine as they don’t have dried fruit or a chocolate back. I think they would be good with a drizzle of dark choc.
No to Fifry Shades of Grey but YES to fifty shades of Golden brown in these Florentines!!
Good for you getting the recipe.
I’ve always wanted to make florentines. So many I have bought and they let me down. I have not read 50 Shades and I am not into fan fiction. There are plenty of good books out there that I haven’t got around to yet. I have never asked a chef for a recipe but I often go home and try to approximate a meal from a restaurant, usually the easy ones.
To be honest I’ve never had a florentine cookie. I have to say though it does look quite a treat.
A fancy name for adults to get away with eating toffees?
These florentines look soooooooo good! And I adore florentines, so I genuinely covet these. I haven’t read 50 Shaes of Grey, but I have read the entire Twilight series and I did find them compulsive reading.
Thanks for the lostpastremembered link, Lorraine. I love it.
Haven’t read 50 Shades yet, but every one else I know has. Am feeling out of the loop.
The florentines look wonderful–I love the idea of hazelnuts and almonds together.
I start hearing about Fifty Shades of Grey but didn’t have the chance to put my hands on it (or my eyes), well, I have to wait for a Spanish version, I’m not good to read books in English.
Your florentines look fantastic, I’m sure will be adictive to me too, how did you ask for the recipe? I think I could never ask for it to a chef.
Well I’m just going to have to read about it now because I’ve heard it mentioned a lot in the last week. I could not think of many better things to do than curl up with a good book and some delicious florentines.
I’ve read the first one and kinda read it in one sitting too – however I actually found I was more interested in the plot rather than all the sex. Weird no?
These look delicious and I’d totally dip them in chocolate and do other naughty things to them a la 50 Shades style.
Those are lovely looking florentines Lorraine and I do use your method for removing the skins but I still find that some of those nuts are very reluctant to give up their skin. People have been asking me if I’ve read it too. I know Joanne from Eats Well With Others is reading it. I feel like I’m going to have to get it to find out what’s going on xx
I’m not jumping to read 50 shades of grey. meh. I’d rather well written words, and I’ve heard it’s not exactly well written. I love florentines, they’re so pretty, aren’t they!
Heidi xo
I haven’t read the book – every now and again I hear someone rave about it but I feel like I just catch glimpses without understanding the phenomenon – but I must say that this wet wintery weather is very conducive to sitting reading a good book inside with a cuppa and a bikkie – I love florentines so these sound great – with dark chocolate please
I want the cookie but not the book!
My hubbie took my to Aria in Sydney for our Anniversary and there was a little beef pie with the most wonderful side-dish of mushrooms; wonderfully rich and salty. When I got home I sent them an email telling them how much I enjoyed it and would they be so kind as to tell me which type of salt they had used (as I have 13 different salts and wanted to try and make it myself). The woman answering the email wished me a happy anniversary and printed up the entire recipe!!! And the salt they used?……table salt!
I read all 3 books in 1 weekend…
I also love having a Kindle because no-one knows you’re reading smut 
I never liked florentines because of the dried fruit, but these look delicious!
LOL Chanel, I love the comment about the Kindle!
And I was the same about the dried fruit in Florentines 
I love Florentines – yum! I downloaded Fifty Shades of Grey and started reading it. To be honest the story just isn’t grabbing me so I don’t think I will finish reading it or the other 2. I’ve now started reading Game of Thrones as my husband and I have been watching S1 & S2. Lots of saucy scenes in GoT too but the storylines appeal more to me.
Guilty confession: I read Fifty Shades when it was Master of the Universe (Twilight fanfic).
But then I went out and bought all three books. Read the first, skimmed the second, abandoned the third. Only so much angst and sex I can take, and while it started as compelling reading, I was incredibly disappointed the books hadn’t been copyedited or even proofread – shouldn’t they be one of the benefits of being published by a major publishing house?
You’ve just ruined the illusion that florentines are the healthier choice…but I think I have to make them anyway!
HI Libby-I’m so interested in how the second and third books turn out. They are quite intense and I can’t imagine three book’s worth of it!
Hehe well the nuts are healthy? 
I read the first book and found the female lead unbelieveable (a virgin and a Uni graduate)and very annoying. Its just racy Mills and Boon yaawwn with a pathetic female stereotype. Will look up your reader JessMess though
So yummy. Great recipe.. and story to go with
Ooh those look addictive! I always thought I didn’t like florentines, but I’ve recently realised that that’s because I’d only ever eaten them at a cafe who made them cheaper by using cornflakes instead of nuts! Oops.
Oh, it is sometimes delightful to get home late and read all the previous comments!!! I had never heard of ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’, and I am not certain I want to spend my busy time on it
! And I do get thru’ 7-10 books a week, but . . . ? Florentines: they also were amongst the first recipes I ever attempted – and mine were the kind one did wrap around a wooden spoon handle 
! And cherished if they came out ‘right’!!!!
I haven’t read this book, I didn’t like the reviews. Did you like it?
Have read the book and am now reading Fifty Shades Darker. Great time waster on my IPad.hard to put down sometimes.Must try the Florentine recipe –looks great
I adore hazelnuts in cookies, they add such a wonderful flavor. I haven’t read the 50 shades series, although it is on my list – I am only buying novels on my kindle (cookbooks still hard copy) and I objected to paying more to sownload than I could pick the books up for at Big W. Yup I read fanfic too – in fact I was a bit addicted to it a year ago, mostly the Sookie/Eric variety. It doesn’t surprise me that a fanfic writer has come up with an erotic book – if you read some of the other authors forum comments they often note that type of story gets lots of hits and lots of feedback asking for more.
There are many people who have been talking about this book, I em definitely beginning to feel like I should read it! Though I have heard its a little… Racy?
Whatever read it or not I think I definitely must make your Florentines! Can you say gorgeous or should I?
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I tried to make Florentines once and it was a disaster (soggy but tasted burnt) so thank you so much for tried and tested recipe – will get onto it soonest. 50 shades of grey, have not read it but intrigued by the hype. Would I blush reading it on the train I wonder?
Hi Gin-tonic-yes you might! Just warning you
Or you might giggle. I had the urge to do both 
Nice of her to share the recipe with you. I wouldn’t ask any chef for a recipe, though I try to get my husband to do it (but he wouldn’t either!).
I’ve never bought florentines before, though I did try to make them once. Didn’t turn out. They all spread on the tray to form one giant pool of mess, so I turned it into a brittle instead. I think I was supposed to use egg rings while baking. Anyway, yours looks like a florentine, a nice yummy one too…perhaps I should give this one a go!
I hate roasting hazelnuts… fortunately I still have some left after MPS’s birthday cake.
I know what I am doing tomorrow. Might have to finally download that book to go with them then?
Those are beautiful and very very moreish!
Haven’t brought myself to read it yet as I’ve heard some mixed reviews..
So, I often go into book shops to see what’s on the best sellers list and then I download the ebook without much thought. I happened to do that with 50 Shades of Grey also not knowing it was soft porn!!!! I’ve just started reading it (Chapter 3) so not into the porn yet but hilarious. not sure if I’m worried or excited to get to the sexier bits lol
It must be that time of the year , I made florentines recently for morning tea for my hard working volunteer friends in the community garden I added a twist of colour to mine , with glacé cherries , dried acai and cranberries, the container was empty very quickly , i try to make something different every week. thanks for the inspiration
I haven’t read the book. I found Twilight to be very poorly written, so an author who wrote fanfiction for it is really not appealing to me!
I’m too shy to ask for a recipe directly from a chef!
Of course, if she’d written Harry Potter fanfic it would be a different story…
Great Florentines
I haven’t read the book yet and I’ve heard a mix of outrageously good and bad reports about it. I guess there’s only one thing for it … to read it myself. So, your tip is to keep sustenance at the ready? Thanks!
I avoid fan fiction like the plague. Cookies instead, please!
Spending the day reading and snacking on sweet, delicious, crunchy cookies sounds like a perfect day to me. xoxo Mum
I haven’t read Fifty Shades of Grey, but I have read The Story of O, so I’m not above smut.
Swooning over your Florentines.
I’m reading the second book right now and the prose is laughably bad but I’m a woman who likes fantasies so perfect worlds intrigue me.
The food equilavent of the book is probably cotton candy.
A friend reviewed it recently and it looks like it is a book I am not going to pick up anytime soon. When I read twilight, it feels like I am reading something off the net, except that it is in a book and I am paying for it to make myself angry later on.
I’d add some mixed peel to this and it would be perfect for my tastes! Love florentines!
The only reason I’d use a cutter to neaten up the circles would be so I could eat the bits left behind. No calories in those.
Haven’t read the book but I might if I could eat these cookies.
I have asked for recipes and most of the time I’ve been successful. I don’t do it a lot.
These florentine’s look fab, Lorraine. I have always wanted to try making these – thanks for the gentle nudge
Yum! Toffee, nutty and crunchy. That would be so nice with a cup of tea. Mmmm so sweet and good!
Oh, authors here don’t get million dollar book deals either…
these cookies look incredible! i’m dying to try this recipe!
Haha, thanks Lydia! It probably won’t be published on kindle for another month or so
Love the look of these Florentines, might just be too addictive for me, I’d probably end up eating the lot in one sitting!
Back from India, the wedding which lasted for five days was fantastic but we all ended up with the flu and I spent a whole day in bed on our return. Back to normal and loads of washing to get through.
My daughter Gabriella , while on holidays, ploughed through all three Fifty Shades of Grey, books she couldn’t put them down! From all the comments re:bondage and soft porn I understand why,lol. Maybe I’ll get round to reading them but methinks I’d rather bake instead.
I can eat a ton of these candy cookies! They are great with tea, a fire, a blanket, and a book!
OH these cookies look incredible. I’m going to use the cutter next time to make them look as pretty as yours.
The cookie cutter trick is clever. Will have to remember that one
Hi Lorraine, haven’t read the book and funnily enough got asked twice this week if I had. These look delicious, too scared to make them as I am sure I would polish them off in one sitting!
So delicious, how lovely to share the recipe with you (and us)!
Haven’t read the book, but my daughter fills book after book with fan fiction- maybe she’ll make a fortune too?
I will never read this book. Once or twice I bought a book that was all the rage and everyone was reading (even one that was made into a movie it was supposed to be so good) and I am almost universally disappointed and disgusted with the horrid writing (which enfuriates me) and the stupid plot. Sorry for the rant. This isn’t to say I don’t read good contemporary fiction but I have a theory: the more attention and publicity a movie or book has means it isn’t very good. But these florentines look amazing and I will definitely be trying these!!!
i’m always the last to hop aboard popular book trains. i still haven’t read harry potter or twilight, so i’ll probably get to 50 shades of gray by the time i’m 60.
hehe I’m halfway through the 3rd book, and while the stereotypes and writing can be irritating sometimes – it is addictive and I cannot put it down!
Yum – these look lovely… Will try on the next rainy Sunday afternoon!
I don’t think I would be brave enough to read the paperback on public transport – hah hah!
I have read all 3 books – it took me less than a week reading them on my iphone.. I was completely addicted. I also loved the Twilight series
For the longest time, I didn’t know what is the name of this cookie. I only found out this name from one blogger a few months ago. This is by far one of my most favorite cookies. I love crunchy crispy texture and I love caramelized nuts, especially almonds. My gosh…One day I need to try this out. But SO scared to make it because I guarantee I’ll finish 99% of these cookies as soon as I bake…
YUM! What a great little treat. I am curious about this book. Women everywhere are going nuts over it lol
Lorraine, I like you was surrounded by posts on fb, discussion both at work and on tv about these books and I thought to myself ‘I am not a repressed suburban housewife’ as some critics were implying so was staying steadfast that I was not going to read them…..now back track two weeks ago – long weekend Monday I had the flu, it was raining outside, hubby was working and our son was playing xbox with buddies so I thought well let me just download the sample on my ipad – sample read promptly followed by 1st, 2nd, 3rd book in a week. Yes writing isn’t going to win any awards but who cares! I loved the books, yes pretty full on sexually but hey not complaining! Now I have read blog after blog about who should play both characters in the movie – with movie rights now bought for $$$. EL James is one very wealthy woman and more power to her. My vote so far Henry Cavill or Matt Bomer for Christian, Emilia Clarke for Ana and Kim Raver for Elena! Obsessed much – me??? Noooo LOL BTW Florentines are my hubby’s favourites.
I love florentines, these look great. I’ve read parts of the book, but on the whole, it ust seems too weird for me.
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