CELEBRATION
Panforte
Full of nuts, dried fruit and spices, panforte is delicious dusted with icing sugar then cut into small wedges or squares and served after dinner with coffee. Originally from Siena in Tuscany, it was not originally a festive treat, but it certainly makes an ideal Christmas present
Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4. Lightly grease 2 x 18cm/7in round tins and line the base of each tin with a disc of rice paper. Spread out the blanched almonds and
hazelnuts on a baking tray and toast in the preheated oven for about 5-7 minutes until lightly golden. Leave to cool slightly then roughly chop the hazelnuts with the pistachios and put in a large bowl. Add the chopped dried fruit and mix well. In another small bowl, mix together the
spices, black pepper, flour, cocoa and salt then add to the dried fruit and nuts and
mix until well combined. Lower the oven temperature to 150°C, 300°F, Gas 2. Combine the honey and sugar in a
medium-sized pan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 115°C on a sugar thermometer. Remove from the heat, pour into the fruit
and nut mix and stir. Spoon into the prepared tin and level. Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 45-60 minutes until firm. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. Run a palette knife around the edge of the tin and carefully ease out.
MAKES 2 CAKES INGREDIENTS
Sunflower oil, for greasing 100g/4oz blanched almonds 100g/4oz blanched hazelnuts 75g/3oz unsalted shelled pistachios
300g/11oz mixed dried fruits, including apricots, candied peel, raisins, figs and medjool dates, roughly chopped 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground ginger ½ tsp ground cloves ½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper 90g/3¾oz plain flour 1 rounded tbsp cocoa Pinch of salt
175g/6oz clear honey 175g/6oz caster sugar
96
COOK’S TIP
Making 2 small cakes means you can make 2 gifts at once. Stored in an airtight container, this panforte will keep for weeks. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
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