Name: Hazelnut Panforte
Yield: Makes 1
Ingredients: 1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped; 1 cup pecan halves, toasted, coarsely chopped; 3/4 cup pitted Medjool dates, coarsely chopped; 1/2 cup coarsely chopped candied orange peel; 1/2 cup dried tart cherries; 1/2 cup all purpose flour; 1/4 cup stemmed dried Mission figs, coarsely chopped; 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander; 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom; Pinch of ground white pepper; 3/4 cup honey; 3/4 cup sugar; 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter; 1 9-inch-diameter cardboard cake round

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Hazelnut PanforteCharles Schiller

A prized Christmas sweet from Tuscany, panforte means "strong bread" — but it's more like an almost-flourless fruitcake.

Recipe information

Yield
Makes 1

Ingredients

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped

1 cup pecan halves, toasted, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup pitted Medjool dates, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup coarsely chopped candied orange peel

1/2 cup dried tart cherries

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup stemmed dried Mission figs, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Pinch of ground white pepper

3/4 cup honey

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

1 9-inch-diameter cardboard cake round

Preparation

Step 1
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 300°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom and sides with parchment paper; butter paper.
Step 2
Mix first 16 ingredients in large bowl, tossing to separate fruit pieces. Bring honey, sugar, and butter to boil in small saucepan, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low. Place candy thermometer in mixture, tilting to submerge bulb, and cook until thermometer registers 242°F to 248°F, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Pour syrup over nut mixture; stir to blend. Immediately transfer mixture to prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until bubbling slightly at edges and top appears dry, about 55 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Cover; let stand overnight at room temperature.
Step 3
Release pan sides. Remove paper from sides and bottom of panforte. Place panforte on cardboard round. (Can be made 3 weeks ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

TagsCake Dessert Italian European Hazelnut Nut Pecan Date Dried Fruit Fruit Fig Dried Cherry Make Ahead Christmas Bon Appétit

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Recipe notes