Aldi Florentines

[jocktamsonsbairn]

Well as I know it is an important topic for some of us I have bravely taken one for the team and have sampled this years florentine offering from Aldi. This year all I could find was the box of Milk chocolate florentines - a smaller box (106g) than the previous mixed milk, dark and white box. They are fruitier this year which I’m not as keen on but they are cheaper (as less of them). Wish they would bring back the originals though!

What’s the texture like?
I prefer a particular blend of snap & chewiness that’s hard to describe… Maybe I also need a Research Pack.

I made my own for the first time, it’s easy and they were really delicious.

I will give them a try but if they are not excellent I will buy the Fortnum and Masons salted caramel milk chocolate florentines which are my favourite and are truly delicious.
Well done for taking one for the team !

They were chewier than normal and not as crisp. I would think a research pack is worth a try.

Oooh how do you make them? Can you share your recipe as it was easy and worked! Then I can leave out the raisins!

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/florentines

very easy.

Nevergotdivorced - they look delicious

Ooh well this raises the game!!! Thank you!

I have just noticed this recipe makes 20!! I will be such a pig with these, but a virtuous pig as they are home baked!! Wonder if they would be ok with gf flour as DS girlfriend is coeliac but she would love these! Might have to try…

I’m so sorry. When I had to give up sugar and didn’t buy any florentines last year I did worry that it might have severe consequences for Aldi’s florentine trade, and indeed it appears that this sudden drop in sales has led them to completely rethink the viability of the original product.

Florentines were one of my winter staple food groups, and I miss them terribly.

Arrrgghh I used to love the original ones, super crispy, nutty.
I could not find them last year. Only this bigger version.
It's not the same. 😐

Lidl usually has good florentines so it sounds like a comparison study is required.

In my considerable experience, florentine options are as follows.

M&S - nice selection of flavours, a bit expensive but worth the extra. Make sure all your friends and family know that if they ever want to spend a few quid on a little token gift for you, they need to look no further than a box of these.

Fudges. The original, also good and available in most supermarkets. Often on what appears to be a good offer until you open the box and find there's been some shrinkflation going on and there's fewer in the box and they seem smaller than last time. But it makes eating the whole box in one go without sharing feel less greedy so every cloud and all that.

Aforementioned Lidl. Usually has a nice mixed pack but based on the OPs Aldi experience might not be available this year as I suspect they're all made in the same factory. I need to go have a look.

Home made. I've also done this. Good for using up odd bits of cherries, dried fruit etc as I think as long you use roughly the right amount of flaked almonds and something fruity all will be good and of course you can leave out anything you don't like. But because the 'coating chocolate on one side' seems fiddly to me, I'd probably just dip half in chocolate and leave to set on greaseproof paper.

Don’t bother with the co op florentine offering, waste of nearly £4

I was just going to suggest trying Lidl's Belgian chocolate ones. Their website says they are in store now. Give them a whirl OP and report back.

Aldi has mini florentines with no fruit. I think only milk chocolate ones.
I will go after work to see if I can get a pack

Ooh I will need to pop into Aldi for more research now! @NapoleonsToe I did enjoy the Lidl ones - they have beaten the Aldi ones for the first time ever! But these fruit free mini ones might beat the Lidl ones!!

I love the M&S ones, don’t bother with Tesco Finest, really thin chocolate base and mealy topping.

Ohh, sold out in my local aldi. There was a label for them though

I couldn't find any either. They were lovely, as the different chocolates had different nut combinations. The current ones are all one flavour.

I didn’t get to Aldi today but hopefully tomorrow. Wish they’d just go back to the original and best!

Thomas Fudge for me but, as pp mentioned, massively subjected to shrinkflation so have to pace myself to a box a month. Good scattering of whole almonds though with a decent milk chocolate base. Salted caramel version my favourite.