Pan Forte Food

PANFORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Grease and line the base of a 20cm springform cake tin with edible rice paper or baking parchment. Tip the nuts, candied peel and dried fruit into a bowl. Sift over the flour and spices, and mix together.
• Heat the honey, sugar and wine in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Bubble for 3-4 mins until the sugar has melted. Pour the hot liquid over the fruit and nuts, then mix. Scrape the mixture into the tin and use the back of a wet metal spoon to flatten it. Bake for 35-40 mins until the surface is still soft but not sticky - it will firm up as it cools.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then remove using a palette knife to release any sticky edges. If using baking parchment, peel it off and discard it; the edible rice paper can be left on. Cool completely on a wire rack, then dust generously with icing sugar, rubbing the sugar gently into the surface. Cut into wedges to serve. Will keep wrapped in baking parchment in an airtight tin for one month.

PANFORTE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (300 degrees F if using a convection oven). Generously grease the sides of an 8-inch square baking pan (preferably with Pam). Line the bottom with 1 piece of rice paper.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and ginger.
• In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and honey. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil. Once the mixture is boiling, stop stirring and let cook until a candy thermometer registers 238 degrees F to 240 degrees F.
• Slide the pan from the heat and add the flour mixture, hazelnuts, almonds, and apricots. Stir until well blended.
• Working quickly, scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Top with the remaining piece of rice paper. Using an offset spatula, press firmly on the paper to make an even layer.
• Bake for 28 to 30 minutes (21 to 22 minutes if using a convection oven), until the filling is bubbling slightly on the edges. It will still look soft and very wet, but it will set up as it cools. Transfer the baking pan to a wire rack and let cool completely (overnight is best).
• To serve, run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto a cutting board. Using a large knife, cut the panforte into 3 strips and cut each strip into 12 equal pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

PAN FORTE

Steps:

• Place the ring or mold over the sheet of rice paper on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Spread the nuts on a baking sheet in 2 separate piles, and toast in the oven until lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Shake the pans halfway through to ensure that the nuts toast evenly. Allow to cool a few minutes. Gather the hazelnuts into a kitchen towel and rub them together to remove the skins. Turn the oven down to 300 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine the nuts with the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, flour, and cocoa powder.
• Cut the fruit into 1/2-inch pieces and toss with the nut mixture.
• In a small saucepan, stir together the honey and sugar. Over high heat, bring to a boil without stirring. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush the sides of the pan to remove any un-dissolved sugar granules. Cook until the sugar reaches 224 to 240 degrees (soft ball stage) on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and pour into the fruit mixture. Stir to combine as well as possible. The mixture will be very thick and sticky.
• Dip your hands in water and press the fruit mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 1 hour, until the top is slightly puffed and the surface is matte. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan. Trim the rice paper around the edge of the mold. Store at room temperature, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for several weeks.
• In a small saucepan, stir together the honey and sugar. Over high heat, bring to a boil without stirring. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush the sides of the pan to remove any undissolved sugar granules. Cook until the sugar reaches 224 to 240 degrees (soft ball stage) on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and pour into the fruit mixture. Stir to combine as well as possible. The mixture will be very thick and sticky.

PANFORTE DI SIENA

Steps:

• THERE IS NO FAT. THIS IS NOT A MISTAKE.
• Turn oven on to 350 and toast hazelnuts until golden - about 15 minutes. Return oven to 300 after toasting.
• Line a pie plate with parchment paper so that the paper comes up the sides too. This is crucial. Maybe wax paper will work. PAM both the plate before the paper and then the paper. This is a major sticker.
• Drain orange peel if you have soaked it in brandy. Combine well all ingredients except honey and sugar. Stir. Stir. Stir.
• Heat honey and sugar until soft ball stage, 240 degrees F. Careful. It gets there real fast so watch for scorching.
• Turn out to a large bowl and add the dry ingredients. Combine. You have a dense mass difficult to combine which is why you need a large bowl.
• Place in lined pie plate and spread - shouldn't be more than 3/4 inches high. Wet your hands to spread and smooth it out. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and then turn it out to an oiled plate and remove paper. When cool, cut into small squares. I then shake the totally cooled pieces in a bag with powdered sugar (to which cinnamon can be added). Cocoa powder is good, also, for shaking inches Store in air tight container. Keeps forever. Note: This is not a "dessert" but more adult candy. Good for snacking with a glass of wine or brandy. Stuff keeps for weeks in an air-tight container which is why the Italian Crusaders brought it to their wars in the Middle East.