Panforte, an Italian holiday tradition worth repeating

Panforte is a classic Italian sweet from Siena, Tuscany. It’s part cake, part confection and entirely irresistible. Its name translates to “strong bread,” which is a nod to both its dense texture and bold flavors.

Though panforte’s roots reach back to medieval Italy, it has endured as a sweet seasonal indulgence, evolving from a spiced honey bread once made for monks into a rich and fragrant confection enjoyed during the holiday festivities.

Panforte traditionally combines toasted nuts, such as almonds and hazelnuts, dried and candied fruit, and warm spices. A touch of chocolate is added to a version called panforte nero. All the ingredients are bound together with honey syrup that sets into a chewy, fragrant cake.

Each slice offers a balance of restrained sweetness, peppery spice and earthy depth. It pairs beautifully with coffee, dessert wine and a slice of cheese. Best of all, panforte keeps exceptionally well, which makes it an ideal make-ahead treat for gifting, entertaining or simply savoring throughout the season.

Lynda Balslev is an award-winning writer, cookbook author and recipe developer based in Marin. Visit TasteFood at TasteFoodblog.com.

Panforte Nero

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes, plus cooling time

Yield: Makes one 8- to 9-inch cake

INGREDIENTS

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skins removed, chopped

1 cup almonds, toasted, chopped

1 cup chopped dried Mission figs

1/2 cup finely chopped candied oranges

1/2 cup golden raisins

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 cup honey

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 ounces finely chopped dark (72%) chocolate

Confectioners’ sugar for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 320 degrees. Butter an 8- to 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper.

Combine the hazelnuts, almonds, figs, candied oranges and raisins in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, black pepper, salt, coriander, cloves and nutmeg. Whisk to blend. Pour over the nut and fruit mixture and stir to combine.

Combine the honey and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Turn off the heat, add the chopped chocolate and stir until smooth.

Working quickly, pour the sugar mixture over the fruit and nuts. Stir to combine (the mixture will immediately stiffen; keep stirring to thoroughly combine). Spread in the prepared cake pan (it will be sticky) and smooth the top.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for 30 minutes, then remove from pan. Cool the cake completely (it will continue to firm up). Once cool, dust the confectioners’ sugar over the cake.