TRADITIONAL SIENA FRUITCAKE (PANFORTE)

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.