TRADITIONAL SIENA FRUITCAKE (PANFORTE)

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Traditional Siena Fruitcake (Panforte) image

Provided by Florence Fabricant

Categories     dessert

Time 1h30m

Yield 1 panforte

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 cup whole hazelnuts
1 cup blanched almonds
1 cup coarsely chopped candied orange peel
1 cup finely chopped citron
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Pinch ground white pepper
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Confectioners' sugar

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Toast hazelnuts on a baking sheet in the oven until the skins pop and blister, 10 to 15 minutes. Rub the skins from the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel. Toast the almonds on a baking sheet until very pale golden, about 10 to 15 minutes. Chop the almonds and hazelnuts very coarsely.
  • Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
  • Mix the nuts, orange peel, citron, lemon zest, flour, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, nutmeg and pepper together thoroughly in a large mixing bowl.
  • Butter a nine-inch springform pan, line the bottom and sides with parchment paper and then butter the paper.
  • Heat the granulated sugar, honey and butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until the syrup registers 242 to 248 degrees on a candy thermometer (a little of the mixture will form a ball when dropped into cold water). Immediately pour the syrup into the mixture and stir quickly until thoroughly blended. Pour immediately into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. The batter will become stiff and sticky very quickly so you must work fast.
  • Bake about 40 minutes. The panforte won't color or seem very firm even when ready but it will harden as it cools. Cool on a rack until the cake is firm to the touch.
  • Remove the sides of the pan and invert the cake onto a sheet of waxed paper. Peel off the parchment paper. Dust heavily with confectioners' sugar.

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