Florentina Surprise

Florentina Surprise pastries contain a medley of flavors—chocolate, nuts, rum, and caramelized sugar—that blend together well, and these pastries give my students an opportunity to work with a broad range of techniques in their preparation. The surprise part of the name refers to the ganache, which is hidden underneath the Florentina cookie. The name is also fitting when, as happens from time to time, someone forgets to include the filling, leaving the inside hollow.