Name: Panforte di Siena
Yield: Serves 12
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: ½ tsp ground ginger; ¼ tsp ground cloves; ½ tsp ground nutmeg; 85 g (3 oz) unsalted, green, shelled pistachios; ¼ tsp ground black pepper; 100 g (3½ oz) blanched hazelnuts; 275 g (9¾ oz) mixed dried fruit, including apricots, mixed peel, raisins and sultanas; 1 rounded tbsp cocoa powder; 120 g (4 oz) blanched almonds; 180 g (6½ oz) clear honey; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 180 g (6½ oz) caster sugar; 100 g (3½ oz) plain flour; icing sugar, to dust

Preparation info

Serves
12

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

World's Best Cakes

By Roger Pizey

Published 2013

About

Originally from Siena in Tuscany, this sticky, sweet, spicy nut cake is usually served in winter, particularly at Christmas. Its recipe is centuries old, dating back to when spices arrived by boat at the nearby port of Pisa. I love the combination of the black pepper and nuts in this recipe, making it deliciously spicy and incredibly moreish.