I always thought of Christmas fruit cake as
a rich and heavy cake, full of candied fruit and nuts, that was soaked in
alcohol and then frosted with royal icing and marzipan. It was the fruit
cake of my youth, and it wasn't until years later that I realized there are
other types of Christmas cakes.
Take for example, Panforte (pronounced pan-FOHR-tay), which
comes from Siena Italy and also goes by the name Siena Cake. Although it
does have some similarities to the 'British' fruit cake (containing the
traditional fruit, nuts, and spices) its texture and flavor are very different.
Bite into a slice of Panforte and you may be surprised to find how chewy it is. This chewy texture comes from mixing the fruit, nuts, spices, and flour (just
enough to bind the ingredients), with a boiled syrup made from sugar and honey. This sugar/honey syrup, along with the addition of melted chocolate and cocoa
powder, gives this Christmas cake an almost candy-like texture and flavor which
is hard to resist, even for those who hate fruit cake.
Traditionally Panforte is baked in a round
pan that has been lined with communion wafers (to make it easier to remove)
which seems to indicate a religious connection. History does tell us that Panforte dates from the 12th century and, although stories differ, most agree
that Nuns (hence the use of communion wafers) were the first to make this
delicious bread. Now, for most of us communion wafers can be
difficult to find so luckily Jane Grigson in 'The Best of Jane Grigson - The
Enjoyment of Food' offers us a great substitute; edible rice paper. which is
available at
most Asian markets. Another distinctive characteristic of this cake is
the dusting of the top of the cake with confectioners' (powdered/icing) sugar.
This gives it a very festive 'snowy' look which adds to the holiday mood.
Although this cake was once made only during the Christmas season, its
popularity has now made it a year round favorite.
As far as making this recipe, its fairly
easy, the only difficult part is the making of the sugar syrup which a good
candy thermometer will take care of. Once the honey and sugar are
boiled to the soft ball stage (240 degrees F) (115 degrees C) it is
poured over the rest of the ingredients. At this point you will need to
work quickly before the mixture stiffens and becomes difficult to spread in the
pan. Traditionally this cake was made with almonds but hazelnuts as well
as macadamia nuts are excellent in this cake. And although I have used
candied lemon and orange peel again you can vary this recipe by using other candied
fruits or even dried fruits (cranberries, cherries, apricots to name a few)
especially if you want to make this cake off season when candied fruits are difficult to find. Another
thing about Panforte is that some like it
very spicy so if you prefer it that way, go ahead and add some white or black pepper (1/2
to 1 teaspoon). Incidentally, cocoa and chocolate were not found in the
Panforte made by the Nuns. It wasn't until the 1800s that these
ingredients made their way into the recipe and today you can find Panforte both
with and without chocolate.
A final note, Panforte is like other
fruit cakes in that it stores well. So you can squirrel it away in the cupboard and cut off a
sliver any time of the year that your sweet tooth beckons.
Panforte: Butter and line with
parchment paper an 8-inch (20 cm) tart pan. Alternatively, and
for a more authentic look, line the pan with edible rice paper
(available at Asian markets).
First melt the chocolate in a
stainless steel bowl over simmering water. Set aside. Then in a large bowl combine the nuts, candied fruit,
spices, flour, and cocoa powder.
In a saucepan, stir
together the sugar and honey. Place the saucepan over medium heat and
bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Then clamp a
candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan. Continue to boil the
mixture over medium heat, without stirring, until the temperature
reaches the soft ball stage, 240 degrees F (116 degrees C).
Remove from heat and stir the
sugar/honey syrup and the melted chocolate into the chopped nut and
fruit mixture. The mixture will stiffen quickly so once
combined, transfer to the prepared pan. With damp hands, or the
back of a spoon or offset spatula, evenly spread the Panforte,
smoothing the top.
Bake in a 300 degree F (150 degree C)
oven for about 30-35 minutes or until the surface has fine blisters. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. While the Panforte is
still warm, remove the sides of the pan and heavily dust the top of
the cake with confectioners' (powdered/icing) sugar. Gently rub the sugar into the cake. (Note: if you have
lined the pan with rice paper you may find it has torn. If that
is the case simply add more rice paper, using a little egg white as glue.)
Once the cake has completely cooled,
wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in a cool, dry place.
Well wrapped this cake will keep several months.
Serve this cake in thin slices as it
is quite rich.
Makes 1 - 8 inch (20 cm) cake.
Note: To remove the skins of
the hazelnuts as well as to toast them: bake
in a 350 degree F (180 degree C) oven for 15 minutes or until fragrant
and the skins begin to flake. Remove from oven and place the hot
nuts in a dish towel. Roll up the towel and let the nuts sit
(steam) for a few minutes then briskly rub the nuts in the towel to
remove the skins. Let cool before using. Toasting the nuts
not only removes the bitter skins but also enhances the sweet, rich,
buttery flavor of the nut.
To toast the almonds: bake in a 350
degree F (180 degree C) oven for about 5-10 minutes or until lightly
browned. Watch
carefully as they can burn easily.
Remove from oven and let cool before using.
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