Fruitcake From Siena - {Panforte Di Siena}

By á-170456

Ingredients

• 1 cup hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup candied orange peel finely chopped
• 1/3 cup candied lemon peel finely chopped
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour plus
• 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon mace or ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

Details

Servings 10

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8- or 9-inch pie pan or round cake pan with butter. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease the paper. Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 5 to 8 minutes. Let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Coarsely chop the hazelnuts. Put them in a bowl, add the candied citrus peel, cocoa, flour, and spices; mix well. Set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and honey and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until a spoonful of the mixture forms a ball when dropped into a bowl of cold water.

Add the sugar syrup to the flour and nut mixture and stir to mix well. Pour into the pan and pat the top smooth.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Carefully turn the cake out onto a rack and remove the parchment paper. Invert the cake onto another rack and let cool completely.

Sprinkle the cake liberally with confectioners' sugar. Cut into small wedges to serve.

This recipe yields 10 to 12 servings.