Tropical Fruit Florentines A La Darlene

• 3/4 cup honey
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup (4oz) lightly toasted slivered almonds (1/2 c chopped coarsely)
• 1 cup (4oz) lightly toasted pecan halves, chopped coarsely
• 1 cup (6oz) dried sour cherries, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup (3oz) dried sour apricots, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup (3.5 oz) dried, candied mango, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup (4oz) dried, candied papaya, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup ap flour
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• pinch cloves, pinch white pepper, lemon & orange zest
• 1/2 lb best quality bittersweet chocolate (I use Callebaut)
• *Vegetable shortening for greasing hands

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. Chop nuts and fruit. Place in large bowl. Add flour and spices and toss to coat.
3. Combine honey, sugar and butter in a small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Cook until temperature reaches 238 F on a candy thermometer. Immediately pour over fruit and nut mixture. Stir until well combined. Let cool until warm to touch. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats.
4. Grease hands with shortening. Form small amount of mixture into 1 inch ball (or smaller for higher yield). Place on baking sheet and flatten with palm of hand. Leave room for cookies to spread moderately. Bake until bubbling on top, about 8-10 min (check regularly).
5. Remove from oven and place entire baking sheet on cooling rack. Cookies must cool on sheets until they can be removed from parchment/Silpat without sticking. When they can be lifted put them directly on cooling rack and let cool completely.
6. When all cookies are baked and thoroughly cooled, melt chocolate in a small heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Turn heat off but leave bowl over water to keep chocolate from hardening. Using a small offset spatula spread a layer of chocolate on the back of each cookie. Place cookies, chocolate side up, on a flat, clean surface until chocolate is set. Store in airtight containers between sheets of waxed paper. Should keep for 2-3 weeks.

honey, white sugar, unsalted butter, almonds, pecan halves, sour cherries, sour apricots, candied mango, candied papaya, flour, ubc, white pepper, bittersweet chocolate

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/tropical-fruit-florentines-a-la-darlene-1213204 (may not work)