Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C (top and bottom heat) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Simmer the sugar, honey, butter and cream in a pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring.
- Stir in the flaked almonds and simmer for another 5 minutes; if using candied orange peel, stir it in now and cook for 3 more minutes.
- Spread the mixture thinly and evenly on the baking paper and bake on the second shelf from the bottom for about 12 minutes until golden brown; no longer, or the sugar turns bitter.
- Let it cool completely on the tray, then turn it out onto a board and peel off the paper.
- Melt the chocolate, spread it over the smooth underside and let it set. Turn the sheet over and cut it into small diamonds with a sharp knife; this makes about 40 pieces.
Drink with it
Cognac and brandy · excellent match
VSOP or XO Cognac, neat in a snifter
Vanilla, roasted and dried fruit notes of the aged Cognac mirror the almond and caramel, and the dark chocolate carries its length.
Cognac and Armagnac: Two Origins for BrandyFortified wine · excellent match
Tawny Port, 10 or 20 years, lightly chilled
The nutty, caramel and orange peel notes of Tawny are almost the same as in the biscuit, and its sweetness keeps up with the honey caramel.
Port wine: understanding Ruby, Tawny, and VintageSherry-cask whisky · good match
Sherry-cask whisky, neat or with a drop of water
Raisin and nut notes from the sherry cask bring almond and honey together.
What Does the Cask Do to Whisky?Herbal liqueur · good match
Bitter herbal liqueur or amaro, neat
The bitterness cuts the strong sweetness of the caramel; candied orange peel finds an echo in the orange peel note of many amari.
What is Amaro? Understanding Italian bitter liqueurs