Panforte
Panforte
I just cannot decide if this is a cake, cookie, candy, or all 3! It's very close to panforte, a cake typically served around Christmas time from Siena in Italy’s Tuscany region, and this delicious treat has it all – nuts, fruits, spice, and best of all, chocolate. Bonus: It's gluten-free!
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Allergens: Nuts
- Servings: 1 9-inch cake (12 slices)
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2/3 cup brown rice flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup toasted whole almonds
- 1 cup whole hazelnuts
- 1 cup soft pitted prunes (quartered)
- 1 cup soft dried mission figs (cut into 6 pieces each)
- 1 cup soft raisins
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup honey
Instructions
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Toast hazelnuts and remove skins with a kitchen towel, then set aside.
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Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
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Line the springform pan with parchment paper and dust with cocoa powder, knocking out any excess.
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Whisk together flour, spices, salt, and cocoa powder in a large bowl, then stir in nuts and fruit.
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Bring sugar and honey to boil in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
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Immediately pour honey over the fruit mixture and quickly stir until combined. The mixture will be very thick and sticky.
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Quickly spoon the mixture into the springform pan, spreading evenly with the back of spoon.a
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Dampen hands and press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan to compact as much as possible.
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Bake in the middle of the oven until the edges start to rise slightly and become matte (about 50 to 55 minutes).
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Cool completely in pan on rack, then remove from side of pan and invert, peeling off paper.
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Cut into slices with a serrated knife to serve. This stores very well for up to 1 week in an airtight container at room temperature.