Sticky, crunchy, chewy panforte is one of Italy’s most delightful Christmas traditions. In this recipe the combination of roasted almonds and hazelnuts provides a satisfying crunch, whilst figs, apricots and candied orange add chewy fruity sweetness and flavour. The addition of honey, spices and cocoa infuses the panforte with rich and complex tones. What a treat.
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Contents
- What Is Panforte?
- Why Make Panforte?
- Panforte My Way
- Ingredients
- How To Make Panforte
- Other Recipes For Italian Festive Bakes You Might Like
- Keep In Touch
- The Recipe
What Is Panforte?
Despite it’s name panforte (strong bread), it’s not bread like at all. I’m guessing the word name is used to reflect its dense and hearty nature. However it’s more of a cross between nutty toffee and fruit cake.
The original panforte dates back to medieval times. It comes from Sienna in Tuscany where the local aristocrats wanted to show off their wealth by using costly spices and other ingredients.
But like all good things, the recipe spread and it’s now a common Christmas bake in homes across Italy.
If you want to try panforte before you bake your own, for the real deal you need to look for panforte di Sienna PGI. The PGI status means it must be produced to a certain standard in the province of Siena.
Why Make Panforte?
Panforte is such a delicious concoction, it’s a real shame to miss out on it. I urge you to give it a go. It’s very easy to make and a little goes a long way. It combines tradition, flavour and the joy of homemade baking.
- Easy To Prepare – Panforte is one of the easiest Christmas bakes to make. It mostly involves chopping and a bit of stirring.
- Festive Treat or Edible Gift – Homemade treats often carry a special touch that store-bought versions can’t replicate. The warm spices and festive ingredients make panforte an excellent choice for Christmas and New Year celebrations. Cut into wedges and wrap them up and you have delicious homemade gifts that store well.
- Fruit Cake Not Fruit Cake – If you have a fussy family that doesn’t like fruit cakes and mince pies, you may find they’ll enjoy panforte. It’s quite different to the usual fare and is more nutty than fruity. So why not try making panforte for your Christmas cake this year?
- Rich Flavour Profile – The combination of almonds, hazelnuts, figs, apricots and candied fruit creates a rich and decadent flavour profile. The blend of nuts and fruits, along with the warmth of spices, bitter cocoa and sweet honey results in a treat that appeals to many. Panforte comes with a scented bonus. It fills the kitchen with a wonderful festive aroma as it bakes.
- Perfect Blend of Textures – The recipe’s mix of crunchy nuts, chewy dried fruits and sticky candy provides a delightful textural contrast. This makes panforte a particularly satisfying and interesting treat to enjoy.
Panforte My Way
CT is not a fan of either Christmas cake or mince pies. However, panforte is quite different and he’s very partial to a slice or three of this. So if you think you don’t like the sort of dried fruit bakes you generally find around Christmastime, think again.
Apart from the fact, it’s really delicious, panforte is a great bake for Christmas because it’s quick and easy to make and it keeps well. You can make it the same day you need it or a few weeks before.
Wrapped in parchment paper and placed in a sealed container, homemade panforte will keep for at least a month.
Serve small slices with after dinner coffee or wrap wedges in parchment paper and gift to friends and family. It also goes very nicely on a cheeseboard.
Ingredients
Some add cocoa powder to their panforte, some add black pepper or chilli powder. Unusually for me, I’ve forgone the chilli on this occasion, but I have added cocoa. A little cocoa powder tempers the sweetness of the fruit, sugar and honey and it also adds richness.
Untraditionally, I add amaretto. It adds sweetness, warmth and enhances that lovely almond flavour. If you don’t have any amaretto use marsala or another raisiny fortified wine.
Nuts
Nuts are the key to panforte. They provide much of the flavour and all of the crunch. They also give the cut slices their appeal as the nuts studded through the sticky fruity part really draw your eye.
Almonds are the traditional nut used to make panforte and I urge you to include some. Their flavour and crunch once roasted is amazing. However, family recipes in Tuscany are varied and many include hazelnuts and even walnuts.
I’ve gone with a mix of almonds and hazelnuts. I would have gone for a ratio of fifty fifty, but I only had one hundred grams of hazelnuts, so I used less of those and more of the almonds. It doesn’t really matter what ratio you use or even if you only go with almonds. It’s the overall quantity that matters.
Dried Fruit
If you have an aversion to dried vine fruit such as raisins and currants, fear not. The fruit used for panforte is usually dried figs and sometimes apricots too. I’ve gone with both.
Use unsulphured apricots if you can. They’re not only healthier, but they taste better too. And, in any case, the darker colour is more helpful in this recipe.
I actually had a Spanish fig wheel from last year which I used. It’s mostly figs with a few almonds and spices in it, so I adjusted my other ingredients accordingly.
The other essential addition is candied peel. This can be citron or orange. But don’t go for the tubs of mixed peel you find in supermarkets, they might just ruin your panforte. CT certainly wouldn’t touch it.
You can buy proper candied peel online or in Italian delicatessens, but it’s actually quite easy and a lot cheaper to make your own. I have a recipe for candied orange peel here on Tin and Thyme. It’s lovely stuff and makes a fabulous festive gift in its own right.
I used two different types this time just because I happened to have some in the house. Normally, however, I’d make my own.
The Spices
Cinnamon is a must for panforte. Other than that, it seems pretty much anything goes. Cloves and nutmeg are both traditional, but so is pepper. The pepper can be black, white or of the chilli variety. Coriander is also commonly used.
I use cinnamon, ginger and cloves. The ginger gives a hint of the heat you’d get with pepper, but feels more in keeping with Christmas.
Cocoa
Cocoa and chocolate have become common panforte ingredients in the last century or two. I use cocoa because the slight bitterness it brings helps to temper the sweetness of the sugar and honey.
It also stops the panforte from being pallid. A dark rich tone is what you’re after.
Sweetener
A mix of honey and sugar is traditional. It’s this that binds the nuts and fruit together. I use muscovado sugar rather than white because it gives caramel tones to the panforte and mixes well with the more ambrosial tones of honey.
Flour
Flour is called for in this recipe, but you don’t need much. Most use plain flour, but I, of course, opt for wholemeal flour. I don’t see why you wouldn’t. Even if people are fussy about wholemeal flour, it’s virtually impossible to tell if there’s bran in the bake. So you’re not likely to get found out.
If you need to keep your panforte gluten-free, just use a good gluten-free flour mix instead.
Rice Paper
If you can find rice paper or other edible paper, it’s ideal for panforte. Panforte is very sticky, so having an edible bottom layer you don’t have to try and peel off makes life a bit easier.
How To Make Panforte
As previously stated, panforte is really easy to make. The only difficulty comes in trying to release it from the tin without leaving bits of it behind. Edible rice paper helps enormously.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for cooking temperatures and quantities of ingredients used.
Step 1. Prep
Preheat your oven then line your tin with rice paper. A round loose bottomed springform cake tin* really helps. You might want to line the sides as well to help with removal later on. Or use a silicone mould, like I do.
If you can’t find any edible paper line your tin with baking paper instead. But you will need to peel it off later when the panforte has cooled.
Step 2. Roast Nuts
Tip the almonds and hazelnuts onto a baking sheet and form into a single layer. Roast in the oven for eight minutes until golden and fragrant. Then turn the temperature down.
I used pre-roasted hazelnuts, which is why you’ll see they’re rather darker than they should be. They were quite old, so benefitted from double roasting.
Allow the nuts to cool, then roughly chop.
Step 3. Chop Fruit
Roughly chop the figs, apricots and candied peel. Depending on how large your peel is, you may not need to chop it.
Step 4. Mix Dry Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped nuts and fruit.
Sift in the flour, cocoa, spices and salt then stir until well combined.
Step 5. Dissolve Sugar
In a saucepan, warm the honey and sugar over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Give an occasional stir. Take off the heat and stir in the amaretto.
Traditionally, you boil the honey and sugar to the soft ball stage before adding it to the nuts and fruit. However, I use less honey and sugar than is traditional and so I don’t want all the moisture to boil away or there’ll be nothing left to bind everything together. I find my method works just fine.
Whilst it’s still hot, pour the honey syrup over the nuts and fruit, stirring until everything is evenly coated. If the mixture feels stiff, persevere.
Step 6. Bake
Scrape the mixture into the prepared cake tin, then press it down firmly into an even layer. The back of a sturdy wet metal spoon is best for this, though wet hands also work.
Make sure you’ve turned down the oven, then pop the tin onto the middle shelf. Bake for roughly thirty minutes or until the top is no longer liquid and the edges are golden brown. But be careful not to over bake as a dry panforte is not at all what you want.
Step 7. Serve
Allow the panforte to cool and firm up in the tin for twenty minutes before removing. Run a knife around the edge of the tin to loosen it, then transfer to a serving plate or cutting board and leave to cool completely.
Once cooled, dust the top with icing sugar. How much you use depends on personal preference. You can rub the icing sugar in with your hands to get a whiter effect if you like.
Use a sharp sturdy knife and slice into thin wedges. I cut mine into twelve slices, but it’s quite rich, so you may want to make it fourteen or even sixteen.
Then savour the delightful blend of nuts, fruits, and spices in this irresistible panforte. Go on, you know you want to.
Alternatively wrap each wedge in greaseproof paper and gift to family, friends and neighbours.
Top Tip
If you used baking paper, you’ll need to peel it off the base before plating up.
Other Recipes For Italian Festive Bakes You Might Like
- Amaretti (vegan)
- Castagnaccio: Italian Chestnut Cake (dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free)
- Chocolate hazelnut biscotti
- Chocolate pistachio biscotti (gluten-free)
- Panettone: made in bread maker
Keep in Touch
Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this panforte recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or advice for packaging it for gifts?
Please rate the recipe. If you post pictures of your creations on social media, use the hashtag #tinandthyme so I can see them.
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If you’d like more edible gift recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Homemade Panforte. PIN IT.
Panforte: Almonds, Hazelnuts, Figs And Apricots
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 sheet rice paper optional
- 150 g skinned hazelnuts
- 150 g almonds can use blanched or with skins
- 150 g dried figs roughly chopped
- 100 g dried apricots or swap for prunes – roughly chopped
- 50 g candied orange peel candied citron is even better – roughly chopped
- 50 g flour I used wholemeal flour, (I used wholemeal spelt flour)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 pinch fine sea or rock salt
- 125 g dark muscovado sugar
- 125 g runny honey
- 2 tbsp Amaretto liqueur or marsala
- icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4). Line a 20 cm (8 inch) round loose bottomed springform cake tin with rice paper. If you don’t have any edible paper, use baking paper instead. I actually used a 21 cm (8½ inch) round silicone mould.1 sheet rice paper
- Tip the almonds and hazelnuts onto a baking sheet and form into a single layer. Roast for 8 minutes until golden and fragrant. Turn the oven down to 160℃ (140℃ fan, 320℉, Gas 3). Allow the nuts to cool, then roughly chop.150 g skinned hazelnuts, 150 g almonds
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped nuts, dried figs, apricots and candied peel.150 g dried figs, 100 g dried apricots, 50 g candied orange peel
- Stir in the flour, cocoa spices and salt until well combined.50 g flour, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¾ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp ground cloves, 1 pinch fine sea or rock salt
- In a saucepan, warm the honey and sugar over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Give an occasional stir. Take off the heat and stir in the amaretto.125 g dark muscovado sugar, 125 g runny honey, 2 tbsp Amaretto liqueur
- Pour the honey mixture over the nut and fruit mixture, stirring until everything is evenly coated. If the mixture feels stiff, persevere.
- Scrape the mixture into the prepared cake pan, then press it down firmly into an even layer. The back of a sturdy wet spoon is best for this, though wet hands also work.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
- Allow the panforte to cool and firm up in the tin for twenty minutes before removing. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen it, then transfer to a cooling rack or serving plate. Once cooled, dust the top with confectioners’ sugar. If you used baking paper, you’ll need to peel it off the base.icing sugar
- Slice into twelve, or more, thin wedges and savour the delightful blend of nuts, fruits, and spices in this irresistible panforte. Alternatively wrap each wedge in greaseproof paper and gift to family, friends and neighbours.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
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Liz says
Mine was definitely on the sticky side. We gave some away to my husband’s parents and siblings but kept a bit for ourselves too – very yummy and had some nice feedback from my sister-in-law too. Had to buy a bottle of Amaretto to make it but my husband wasn’t complaining! Thanks for the recipe.
Choclette says
Oh I’m glad you liked it Liz, even if it was a little sticky. Out of all the homemade gifts I made this year, the panforte was the most popular. And a bottle of Amaretto never goes amiss.
Erin says
I’ve never tried Panforte before, but had to give this a try. It was amazing! I swapped out agave nectar for the honey to make it vegan, and it was great. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Choclette says
Panforte is such a good treat to make for Christmas, I’m keen to spread the word. Good to hear agave nectar worked. Maple syrup is another option.
Tavo says
I just tried out your Panforte recipe, and it’s seriously good! Mixing almonds, hazelnuts, figs, and apricots together was a genius move. It’s like a flavor party in every bite. Plus, your step-by-step guide made whipping it up a breeze. This one’s a keeper in my recipe book for sure!
Choclette says
So glad you like it Tavo. A flavour party in every bite sounds like a good description to me 🙂
Pauline McNee says
I’ve made my traditional Chrissy cake, but your Panforte looks absolutely amazing with all those festive ingredients.
Choclette says
Thank you. It’s delicious. Worth making anyway as an after dinner treat or a slice with morning coffee – just saying!