Panforte Recipes

PANFORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Grease and line the base of a 20cm springform cake tin with edible rice paper or baking parchment. Tip the nuts, candied peel and dried fruit into a bowl. Sift over the flour and spices, and mix together.
• Heat the honey, sugar and wine in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Bubble for 3-4 mins until the sugar has melted. Pour the hot liquid over the fruit and nuts, then mix. Scrape the mixture into the tin and use the back of a wet metal spoon to flatten it. Bake for 35-40 mins until the surface is still soft but not sticky - it will firm up as it cools.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then remove using a palette knife to release any sticky edges. If using baking parchment, peel it off and discard it; the edible rice paper can be left on. Cool completely on a wire rack, then dust generously with icing sugar, rubbing the sugar gently into the surface. Cut into wedges to serve. Will keep wrapped in baking parchment in an airtight tin for one month.

HOMEMADE PANFORTE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 300F (150C). Grease and flour parchment paper to fit an 8 inch (20cm) cake pan.
• In a large bowl stir together the nuts and candied fruit. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour and spices. Set aside.
• In a small pot stir together the honey, water and sugar, heat on medium heat stirring until mixture starts to boil, lower the heat to slow boil for about 2-3 minutes or until the sugar is completely dissolved. (There will be no gritty bits on the spoon when you are stirring).
• Add the honey mixture to the nut mixture and stir to combine. Add the flour mixture and quickly combine well. (This is where using your slightly wet hands would probably be best).
• Place the mixture into the prepared cake pan and with wet hands or the bottom of a wet metal spoon flatten the batter so it is even. Dust the top of the batter with a tablespoon of icing sugar before baking. Bake for about 35-40 minutes.
• Let the cake cool for about 10-15 minutes, then run a wet knife around the outside of the cake and remove. Place on a cake stand or plate and let cool completely before dusting with icing sugar. Slice with a sharp knife and serve. Enjoy!

PANFORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees with a rack set in the center of the oven. Generously spray a 9-by-2-inch heavy-bottomed, nonstick round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with a parchment paper circle, spray parchment paper circle with cooking spray. Coat bottom and sides of pan with flour, tapping out excess.
• Using a sharp knife, roughly chop almonds and hazelnuts and place in a large, wide bowl, along with orange peel, apricots, and figs; toss to combine.
• In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, cocoa powder, salt, nutmeg, cloves, and pepper. Add to bowl of nuts and fruit and toss until well combined.
• Place sugar, honey, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook mixture until it reaches 217 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove pan from heat and quickly pour sugar mixture into nut mixture. Using a heatproof spatula, stir until well combined. Transfer mixture to prepared cake pan, smoothing surface with a spatula.
• Transfer cake pan to oven and bake until entire surface is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer cake to wire rack and let cool completely. Wrap well with parchment paper, and then again with plastic wrap. Store in a cool, dry place up to 3 weeks.
• To serve, dust the panforte with confectioners' sugar and cut into thin wedges with a sharp knife.

COCOA PANFORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line an 8- or 9-inch baking pan with a removable bottom with rice paper or parchment paper, including the sides.
• Combine honey and sugar in a small pan over low heat and stir until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Bring to a gentle boil, and do not stir once syrup begins to boil. Heat to 240 degrees F (115 degrees C) or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from water and placed on a flat surface. Remove from heat and stir in pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, pineapple, ginger, dates, cocoa powder, coriander, allspice, and nutmeg. Mixture will be very stiff.
• Press mixture into the prepared baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and place pan on a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Remove panforte from the baking pan and dust with confectioners' sugar.

PANFORTE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (300 degrees F if using a convection oven). Generously grease the sides of an 8-inch square baking pan (preferably with Pam). Line the bottom with 1 piece of rice paper.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and ginger.
• In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and honey. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil. Once the mixture is boiling, stop stirring and let cook until a candy thermometer registers 238 degrees F to 240 degrees F.
• Slide the pan from the heat and add the flour mixture, hazelnuts, almonds, and apricots. Stir until well blended.
• Working quickly, scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Top with the remaining piece of rice paper. Using an offset spatula, press firmly on the paper to make an even layer.
• Bake for 28 to 30 minutes (21 to 22 minutes if using a convection oven), until the filling is bubbling slightly on the edges. It will still look soft and very wet, but it will set up as it cools. Transfer the baking pan to a wire rack and let cool completely (overnight is best).
• To serve, run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto a cutting board. Using a large knife, cut the panforte into 3 strips and cut each strip into 12 equal pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

PANFORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• Line springform pan with parchment, using a round for bottom and a strip for side. Butter paper well and dust with cocoa powder, knocking out excess.
• Whisk together flour, spices, salt, and 4 teaspoons cocoa in a large bowl, then stir in nuts and fruit.
• Bring sugar and honey to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then boil without stirring until thermometer registers 238 to 240°F, about 2 minutes.
• Immediately pour honey over fruit mixture and quickly stir until combined (mixture will be very thick and sticky). Quickly spoon mixture into springform pan, spreading evenly with back of spoon. Dampen your hands and press mixture firmly and evenly into pan to compact as much as possible. Bake in middle of oven until edges start to rise slightly and become matte, 50 to 55 minutes.
• Cool panforte completely in pan on a rack, then remove side of pan and invert, peeling off paper. If making ahead, wrap panforte (see cooks' note, below). To serve, cut with a serrated knife into small pieces.

CHOCOLATE PANFORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts on a baking pan. Bake until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Rub warm nuts in a clean kitchen towel to remove skins. Set aside.
• Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees. Brush a 9-inch springform pan with soft butter, fit with circle of parchment, brush parchment with butter, and set aside.
• Combine fruit, nuts, brandy, and chocolates in a medium bowl; set aside. Sift 1 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl.
• Combine honey and sugar in a saucepan. Stirring, bring sugar to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Combine with dried-fruit mixture, stirring until combined. Fold in flour; mix to combine. Pour into prepared pan.
• With wet hands or a small metal spatula, press the mixture to form a level layer. Combine the remaining 1/2 tablespoon flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and cocoa. Sift over unbaked cake. Bake until set, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool. Gently brush off flour coating before serving.

PANFORTE DI SIENA

Steps:

• THERE IS NO FAT. THIS IS NOT A MISTAKE.
• Turn oven on to 350 and toast hazelnuts until golden - about 15 minutes. Return oven to 300 after toasting.
• Line a pie plate with parchment paper so that the paper comes up the sides too. This is crucial. Maybe wax paper will work. PAM both the plate before the paper and then the paper. This is a major sticker.
• Drain orange peel if you have soaked it in brandy. Combine well all ingredients except honey and sugar. Stir. Stir. Stir.
• Heat honey and sugar until soft ball stage, 240 degrees F. Careful. It gets there real fast so watch for scorching.
• Turn out to a large bowl and add the dry ingredients. Combine. You have a dense mass difficult to combine which is why you need a large bowl.
• Place in lined pie plate and spread - shouldn't be more than 3/4 inches high. Wet your hands to spread and smooth it out. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and then turn it out to an oiled plate and remove paper. When cool, cut into small squares. I then shake the totally cooled pieces in a bag with powdered sugar (to which cinnamon can be added). Cocoa powder is good, also, for shaking inches Store in air tight container. Keeps forever. Note: This is not a "dessert" but more adult candy. Good for snacking with a glass of wine or brandy. Stuff keeps for weeks in an air-tight container which is why the Italian Crusaders brought it to their wars in the Middle East.