Panforte is a traditional Tuscan specialty from Siena, great for Christmas and delicious all year round. Many different kinds can be selected in Siena for example at the Nannini Bakery – mine is slightly spicy and peppery.

Adapted from Bon Appetit December 2005

Ingredients for 1 panforte:

• 1 cup / 175 grams of hazelnuts, roasted, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 cup / 100 grams of pecan halves roasted and roughly chopped
• ¾ cup / 100 grams of dates, pitted and roughly chopped
• ¼ cup / 20 grams mixed candied fruit (orange, citrus, etc.)
• ½ cup / 50 grams of dried cranberries, roughly chopped
• 1 medium-sized piece (10 grams) of candied ginger, chopped
• ¼ cup / 40 grams of dried soft figs, roughly chopped
• ½ cup / 55 grams of flour
• 2 TBSPs of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp of finely grated orange peel from washed organic orange
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp espresso/coffee salt (optional if not using increase plain salt to ½ tsp)
• ¼ tsp coriander seeds
• ¼ tsp ground cloves or 3 whole
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 pinch chili flakes
• 1 pinch sumac (optional)
• 1 pinch of ground pepper
•  2/3 cup / 226 grams of peach flavored (Miele e Pesca) Tuscan honey
• 1/3 cup / 113 grams plain honey
• ¾ cup of brown sugar
• 2 TBSPs / ¼ stick / 30 grams (lactose-free) butter
• Cooking spray

Putting it all together:

Preheat the oven to 300° F / 150° C and place rack in the middle of the oven. Butter a 9 inch / 23 cm spring-form pan. This size makes a rather flat cake if you want it taller then use a smaller pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray everything with cooking spray, wipe out the excess with a papertowel. Set aside.

Mix the first 13 ingredients together in a large bowl, making sure that the fruit separates and is coated by the flour etc.

Place spices, from coriander seeds to ground pepper, in a spice grinder (coffee grinder) and grind until very fine and well mixed. Add to the fruit flour mixture and stir.

In the meantime bring the honey, sugar and butter to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer for 9 minutes (time it) stirring occasionally and being careful that the mixture doesn’t burn.

Now pour the sweet mixture over the nut/fruit mixture working carefully so as not to burn yourself, but also quickly since it hardens quickly. Immediately transfer to the pan and smooth out as best as possible (very sticky and lumpy).

Bake for 45 minutes in the middle of the oven. Turn off the oven and let the panforte sit another 10 minutes in the oven. Cover it with foil now if it is already very dark.

Remove and cool completely. Let stand overnight covered by a clean dishtowel.
Release the pan and remove the paper from the panforte. Cut half into bite-size pieces or thin slices.

Save the other half until needed stored in wax paper and covered with a dishtowel.
Can also keep airtight for up to 3 weeks.