I make this Italian Christmas dessert any time of year when I crave something sweet and spicy, but don’t want to spend too much time baking gingerbread. I've seen and tried many different recipe variations, and over time I've developed my own version where everything is perfectly balanced and mixes and bakes beautifully.
For a 26 cm / 10” pan you will need:
200 g nuts;
280 g dried fruits;
160 g flour;
170 g honey;
130 g sugar;
1 tablespoon water;
2 tablespoons of spices (ground cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon, plus some orange or mandarin zest).
You can use any nuts, except walnuts. I usually use an equal mix of hazelnuts and almonds and leave them whole. As for dried fruits, I use dried apricots, figs, and cranberries, but you can choose any you like and combine them in different proportions. Just make sure that the total amount of nuts and dried fruits doesn’t exceed 500 g.
Chop the fruits, add the nuts, flour, and spices, and mix everything thoroughly in a sturdy, stable bowl.
Prepare the baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
In a small saucepan, heat the honey, sugar, and water over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Pour the hot syrup into the dry mixture and quickly stir with a large, sturdy spoon until all the flour is absorbed. You have to work quickly—once the syrup cools down and thickens, it will be impossible to mix.
Place the resulting mass into the pan on the parchment paper and smooth it out with wet hands, spreading it to the edges of the pan in a flat, even layer.
Preheat the oven to 150°C / 302°F and bake for 35–40 minutes. As soon as you take it out of the oven, sprinkle it with powdered sugar, let it cool, then wrap it in parchment paper and plastic wrap or foil and store it. You can keep panforte in a cool place for up to a month, or enjoy it right away once it cools down. A well-aged panforte will be much more aromatic and spicy.
Enjoy your meal!
