Name: Panpepato (Spiced Umbrian Cake)
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 Cakes
Cuisine: Umbrian
Ingredients: 1.5 kg/3¼ lb/8½ cups walnuts; 1.5 ml/¼ tsp ground black pepper; about 400 ml/14 fl oz/1 ⅔ cups boiled wine must (see Cook’s Tip); 700 g/1 lb 9 oz dark/bittersweet cooking chocolate, chopped; 300 g/11 oz/scant 2 cups almonds; 400 g/14 oz/scant 2 cups currants or sultanas/golden raisins, soaked in water for 20 minutes, or until plump and softened; 225 g/8 oz/2 cups pine nuts; 300 g/11 oz/scant 2 cups hazelnuts; about 200 g/7 oz/1 ¾ cups plain/all-purpose flour; icing/confectioners’ sugar, for dusting; 200 g/7 oz/1 cup caster/superfine sugar; 115 g/4 oz/1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder; oil, for greasing; 300 g/11 oz/173 cups crystallised/candied citrus fruit, chopped; 1.5 ml/¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg; grated rind of 1 unwaxed orange; 300 g/11 oz/1½ cups honey; 40-60 ml/3-4 tbsp strongest possible espresso coffee

Preparation info

Makes
4 to 6
Cakes

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Italian Regional Cookbook

By Valentina Harris

Published 2017

About

The Umbrian recipe for this Christmas speciality originates in the small town of Terni and its surrounding area. The Italian name literally translates as ‘peppered bread’, referring to the spices, which include some ground black pepper. The recipe has medieval roots and is typical of the kind of recipes attributed to that period of history, when spices and other expensive ingredients were used in generous quantities for special-occasion dishes. Several versions of a similar recipe, with exa