Thomas Fudge's Dark Chocolate Florentines: what a florentine is and how to serve it

A florentine is closer to a set caramel than to a biscuit. Almost no flour holds it together, which is why the rim snaps and the middle chews, and why the chocolate on the back matters so much.

Caramel, almonds and not much flour

Instead of a dough with pieces stirred in, a florentine is a caramel that binds whatever the baker sets into it, spread thin and baked until the edges turn lacy and brittle. The published ingredients for this pack show the build clearly: dark chocolate at 28% and almonds at 18%, then sugar, butter, cream and syrups, with sultanas, candied orange and lemon peel, and a little ginger syrup.

The florentines were relaunched in 2025 with a recipe that keeps the almonds whole, adds extra fruit and chocolate and eases back a little on the chew. The label names milk, soya and almonds, and warns that the pack may contain other nuts, peanuts, sesame and gluten, so these are not for anyone avoiding nuts. Check the current pack before serving guests with allergies.

Why dark rather than milk

The caramel base is sweet by construction, so the chocolate decides whether the piece is balanced. Dark chocolate lays cocoa bitterness underneath the caramel and gives each bite somewhere to finish, instead of one long sweet note. The milk chocolate florentine from the same bakery takes the opposite route, with caramel and chocolate pulling the same way, softer and easier to like on the first bite.

Choose the dark if you enjoy contrast, or if the florentine is following a rich meal; the milk version suits anyone who finds dark chocolate hard going. Both packs hold six, and six is the right number for what this is. A florentine is a piece for the pudding plate, one or two each, rather than a tin-filler to work through over the week.

Serving: warm the chocolate, sharpen the cup

Take the pack out of a cold cupboard about five minutes before serving. Chilled chocolate is too firm to release its aroma, and a short rest at room temperature does more for the flavour than any other trick. Bring them to the table after the meal on a small plate, and keep them out of the everyday biscuit tin, where they sit awkwardly beside the dunkers.

The florentine supplies all the sweetness the moment needs, so the drink should cut through it. A strong black tea without sugar does that, whether an Assam or a properly brewed breakfast blend, and so does a short espresso. A milky mug is the weaker partner, turning both sides sweet; if you take milk, keep it to a splash in something strong.

The packs we stock

• Thomas Fudge's 6 Dark Chocolate Florentines (barcode 072417201530)

What the label says

The published ingredient list for Thomas Fudge's 6 Dark Chocolate Florentines (barcode 072417201530) says it contains milk, soya and nuts (almonds), and it may contain gluten, peanuts and sesame. Check the current UK pack before purchase; formulations and allergen advice can change.

Ingredients, as published: Dark Chocolate (28%) (Cocoa Mass, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Emulsifier: Soya Lecithin, Vanilla Flavouring), Almonds (18%), Sugar, Butter (Milk), Cream (Milk), Glucose Syrup, Partially inverted sugar syrup, Sultanas, Candied Mixed Peel (Orange Peel, Glucose Fructose Syrup, Sugar, Lemon Peel), Ginger Syrup, Salt. May also contain other nuts, peanuts, sesame and cereals containing gluten.

Ingredient and nutrition data for this barcode: Open Food Facts (openfoodfacts.org), ODbL. The pack in your hands is the final word.

What to drink with it

• Yorkshire Tea Original Loose Leaf Tea, 250g: A strong pot of loose leaf, brewed long and taken without sugar, has the grip to cut through caramel and dark chocolate.
• L'Or Espresso Ristretto Coffee Pods, 10 Pods 52g: A short ristretto is the after-dinner coffee partner, bitter enough to meet the dark chocolate head on.
• Twinings English Breakfast Plant Based, 40 Tea Bags 100g: A breakfast blend brewed strong and taken black suits the afternoon version of the same pairing.

Elsewhere in the Thomas Fudge's range

• Thomas Fudge's 6 Milk Chocolate Florentines, 114g

The full range is on the Thomas Fudge's brand page.

FAQ

What is a florentine biscuit? A thin disc of caramel set with nuts and fruit, baked until lacy at the edges and backed with chocolate. There is very little flour in it, so the edge is brittle and the centre chewy.

Do Thomas Fudge's Dark Chocolate Florentines contain nuts? Yes. Almonds make up 18% of the published ingredients, and the pack warns it may also contain other nuts, peanuts, sesame and gluten.

What should I drink with dark chocolate florentines? Something strong and unsweetened: an Assam, a breakfast blend brewed black, or an espresso.

Should I serve them chilled? No. Cold chocolate gives off little aroma, so let them sit at room temperature for about five minutes first.

How many are in a pack? Six, in a 117g pack. Think of it as a pudding portion for a small table rather than a week of biscuits.

Curator's note: One each on a small plate after supper, with a black Assam or a short coffee, and nobody asks for the biscuit tin. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

In short: Thomas Fudge's Dark Chocolate Florentines: what a florentine is and how to serve it

More from the tea wiki

• Tea and Biscuits
• Biscuit Dunking Physics: The Real Science
• Tea Pairing Principles: Reason, Don't Memorise
• Tea With Cake: The Pairing That Never Fails (If You Get It Right)
• Tea and Food Pairing: The Five Principles
• Tea with Chocolate: Pair by Cocoa Percentage
• Tea and Chocolate Pairing

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