Spicy Chocolate Panforte Recipes

CHOCOLATE PANFORTE

Steps:

• You can either use a 9 inch springform pan or an 8 inch square pan, in both cases grease well and line with parchment paper, grease the parchment paper. Using the square pan is recommended if you are cutting the Panforte into pieces to add to a cookie tray or wrap and give as holiday gifts.
• Preheat the oven to 350 º.
• Spread the hazelnuts and almonds on a baking sheet and roast for about 10 minutes or until they are light brown and fragrant. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 250 º and allow the nuts to remain in the oven if you are proceeding with the Panforte at this time. If not, remove the toasted nuts, reserve and warm when you are ready to proceed with the recipe.
• Place the chopped candied orange peel, figs and orange peel in a large bowl and combine with a wooden spoon or with your hands.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, spices, salt and pepper twice, the second time sift directly over the fruit. Combine the dry ingredients well with the fruit to insure that the fruit is evenly coated.
• Placed the chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water - standard procedure for melting chocolate. Stir every so often to insure that all of the chocolate is melted. Once the chocolate has melted, turn off the flame however leave the bowl on top of the hot water to keep the chocolate warm.
• Have a candy thermometer ready at the stove. Place the sugar and honey in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring from time to time. As soon as the sugar dissolves stop stirring and increase the heat to high. Allow the mixture to simmer until the syrup has reached 237º, the soft boil stage. The syrup comes to the correct temperature rather quickly, so keep a close watch. If the temperature rises about 237º, the recipe will still work but the panforte will be firmer.
• Carefully pour the hot syrup over the chopped fruit and dry ingredients, add the warmed nuts straight from the oven. Adjust the oven temperature once again to 350º.
• Pour the warm melted chocolate over the fruit and nuts and immediately stir everything together. Having the nuts warm will help the mixture come together as this is a very dense batter. The mixture will be thick and rather difficult to combine, have faith it will be fine.
• Turn the mixture into the prepared pan with a large wooden spoon or spatula. Dampen your fingers and pat down so that it is even.
• Bake for 18 minutes until the Panforte is set but not too hard. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan before slicing it into segments or bars. The Panforte keeps quite well, wrapped in plastic and stored in a cool dry place. It is actually better after a week when the flavors begin to develop. This is a very rich sweet and thin slices or small segments are all that is needed.

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.

CHOCOLATE PANFORTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet. Bake until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Rub the warm hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel to remove the skins.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter, then fit with a circle of parchment paper, and brush the parchment with butter.
• Combine the hazelnuts, brandy, cherries, unsweetened chocolate and bittersweet chocolate in a medium bowl. Sift 1 cup of the flour and 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon in another bowl.
• Combine the honey and sugar in a saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the dried fruit mixture, stirring until combined. Fold in the flour and mix to combine. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Use wet hands or a small metal spatula to press the mixture to form a level layer. Combine the remaining 1/2 tablespoon flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and the cocoa. Sift over the cake. Bake until set, about 30 minutes.
• Cool and gently brush off the flour coating before serving.

SPICY CHOCOLATE PANFORTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 320°F and line a 9" square pan with parchment.
• Stir sugar, honey, butter, Tootsie Rolls, chocolate and mincemeat in a pan over low heat for 3-5 minutes until sugar dissolves.
• Sift flour, ground almonds, cocoa and spices into a large bowl.
• Add zest, nuts, figs, apricots, salt and mince mixture.
• Stir to combine well - it will be quite stiff.
• Press into the prepared pan (I like placing a piece of parchment or cling wrap on the surface and using a second pan to press it evenly).
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, until firm and dull-looking on top.
• Cool in pan, then invert onto a board and dust with icing sugar.
• Cut into 36 pieces.
• Wrap well in plastic and age at room temperature for 1 day, then transfer to an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.

ITALIAN CHOCOLATE AND NUT CAKE (PANFORTE)

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, ensuring that the base of the bowl does not touch the water
• Use a fork to beat the egg whites in a large bowl for 2 minutes. Add in the peel, ground almonds, the nuts, icing sugar and Amaretto. Mix well, then very gently fold in the melted chocolate.
• Line a circular flan dish measuring about 18cm across and 3sm deep with clingfilm. Pour in the mixture and set aside for 2 hours.
• To make the topping, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, ensuring that the base of the bowl does not touch the water
• Melt the icing sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan over a low heat. Stir to check the sugar has melted, then add the chocolate to make a syrup.
• Turn out the cake onto a plate and peel off the clingfilm. Use a spatula to cover the surface with the chocolate syrup. Set aside for 1 hour until the chocolate has hardened.
• Serve in slices, dusted with icing sugar, with a cup of your favourite tea.

CHOCOLATE PANFORTE CANDIES

Steps:

• Cook first 5 ingredients and 1 teaspoon orange peel in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until liquid forms thick syrup that coats figs, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat; mix in cinnamon, remaining 1/4 teaspoon orange peel, and nuts.
• Melt chocolate in microwave-safe bowl on medium power until melted and warm to touch, stopping once to stir, about 1 1/2 minutes. Arrange paper cups on rimmed baking sheet. Spoon 1 mounded teaspoon chocolate onto bottom of each paper cup. Tap baking sheet on work surface to spread chocolate over bottom of cups. Top center of each with about 1 mounded teaspoon fig mixture. Chill until firm, about 1 hour. Peel off paper. Let chocolates stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT PANFORTE

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400&;amp;deg;F. Brush two 8-inch-diameter cake pans with melted butter. Line bottoms with parchment paper. Brush parchment generously with butter. Reserving remaining butter.
• Place hazelnuts on small cookie sheet; place almonds on another small cookie sheet. Toast in oven until nuts are brown and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes for almonds and 14 minutes for hazelnuts. Cool. Gather hazelnuts in dish towels. Rub in towel to remove husks. Transfer hazelnuts and almonds to large bowl. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
• Add figs, apricots, citron, orange and lemon peels to nuts in large bowl. Combine flour, 3/4 cup cocoa powder and spices in small bowl. Add to nuts.
• Combine sugar, honey and remaining melted butter in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until mixture is smooth and sugar is mostly dissolved, about 5 minutes. Bring to boil. Continue cooking until candy thermometer registers 248&;deg;F. (firm-ball stage). Immediately pour over mixture. Stir to combine thoroughly.
• Divide batter between prepared pans, using back of buttered spoon to spread evenly. Bake until tops and edges just begin to brown and tops feel dry, about 1 1/4 hours. Cool slightly on wire rack. Run small sharp knife around edges of pans to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto work surface; peel off parchment. Cool cakes completely.
• Arrange cakes top sides up on 8-inch cardboard rounds. Spread half of chocolate over each. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 1 hour.
• Brush tops of cakes with cocoa powder. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap decoratively with colored cellophane. Tie ribbon with gift tag around cellophane to secure. (Panforte can be prepared up to 1 month ahead. Store at cool room temperature.)

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.