Italian Chocolate And Nut Cake Panforte Food

ITALIAN CHOCOLATE AND NUT CAKE (PANFORTE)

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, ensuring that the base of the bowl does not touch the water
• Use a fork to beat the egg whites in a large bowl for 2 minutes. Add in the peel, ground almonds, the nuts, icing sugar and Amaretto. Mix well, then very gently fold in the melted chocolate.
• Line a circular flan dish measuring about 18cm across and 3sm deep with clingfilm. Pour in the mixture and set aside for 2 hours.
• To make the topping, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, ensuring that the base of the bowl does not touch the water
• Melt the icing sugar and 2 tablespoons of water in a small saucepan over a low heat. Stir to check the sugar has melted, then add the chocolate to make a syrup.
• Turn out the cake onto a plate and peel off the clingfilm. Use a spatula to cover the surface with the chocolate syrup. Set aside for 1 hour until the chocolate has hardened.
• Serve in slices, dusted with icing sugar, with a cup of your favourite tea.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT PANFORTE

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400&;amp;deg;F. Brush two 8-inch-diameter cake pans with melted butter. Line bottoms with parchment paper. Brush parchment generously with butter. Reserving remaining butter.
• Place hazelnuts on small cookie sheet; place almonds on another small cookie sheet. Toast in oven until nuts are brown and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes for almonds and 14 minutes for hazelnuts. Cool. Gather hazelnuts in dish towels. Rub in towel to remove husks. Transfer hazelnuts and almonds to large bowl. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
• Add figs, apricots, citron, orange and lemon peels to nuts in large bowl. Combine flour, 3/4 cup cocoa powder and spices in small bowl. Add to nuts.
• Combine sugar, honey and remaining melted butter in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until mixture is smooth and sugar is mostly dissolved, about 5 minutes. Bring to boil. Continue cooking until candy thermometer registers 248&;deg;F. (firm-ball stage). Immediately pour over mixture. Stir to combine thoroughly.
• Divide batter between prepared pans, using back of buttered spoon to spread evenly. Bake until tops and edges just begin to brown and tops feel dry, about 1 1/4 hours. Cool slightly on wire rack. Run small sharp knife around edges of pans to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto work surface; peel off parchment. Cool cakes completely.
• Arrange cakes top sides up on 8-inch cardboard rounds. Spread half of chocolate over each. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, about 1 hour.
• Brush tops of cakes with cocoa powder. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap decoratively with colored cellophane. Tie ribbon with gift tag around cellophane to secure. (Panforte can be prepared up to 1 month ahead. Store at cool room temperature.)

SIENA CAKE - PANFORTE DE SIENA

Steps:

• Chop almonds, hazelnuts, apricots, pineapple, orange and lemon peel.
• Mix well with flour, cinnamon, and cocoa.
• Put sugar and honey in a saucepan, stirring over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add chocolate to saucepan, stir until melted, and remove from heat.
• Combine with fruit and nut mixture; cut parchment paper circle to fit bottom of 8" well-buttered round cake pan, then butter the paper and evenly spread the batter into the pan.
• Bake at 300 degrees F for 35 minutes.
• Let cool in pan.
• Remove cake from pan, wrap in foil, and let stand overnight.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into thin wedges.
• Wrapped in aluminum foil to stay air-tight, it will keep for weeks, refrigeration not needed.
• Note: the Julesong photo accompanying this cake was taken about a month after it was made, because this cake can keep for so long and we forgot to take pics when it was newly done and the powdered sugar was still all pretty. :) Please excuse the slightly messy nature of the cake in the photo - we'll replace it with a good one, next year.