Panforte

I made Panforte today.

     Panforte is a traditional Italian dessert containing fruits and nuts, resembling a fruitcake.  Literally, panforte means "strong bread" which refers to the spicy flavor.  A small wedge usually is served with coffee or a dessert wine after a meal; although, some Italians enjoy it with their coffee at breakfast.

     The city of Siena is regarded as the Panforte capital of Italy.  Documents from 1205 show that Panforte was paid to the monks and nuns of a local monastery as a tax or tithe which was due on February 7th that year.  There are references to the Crusaders carrying Panforte with them on their quests, and to the use of Panforte in surviving sieges because of the confection's durability.*

Here is the recipe I used:

Panforte

3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts, toasted
1 cup coarsely chopped almonds, toasted
1/2 cup candied orange peel
1/2 cup candied lemon peel
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup honey

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Cut parchment paper to line an 8-inch tart pan that has a removable side.  Butter the parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler, and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, spices, nuts, and candied fruits.

In a saucepan, stir together the sugar and honey.  Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.  Continue to boil the mixture over medium heat, without stirring, until the temperature reaches 240 degrees F.  (Use a candy thermometer to check the temperature.)

Remove from the heat source and stir the mixture and the melted chocolate into the dry ingredients.  It will stiffen once combined, so quickly transfer the dough to the prepared pan.  With damp hands or the back of a large spoon, press the dough in the pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the surface has fine blisters.  Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool slightly.  Remove the side of the pan and generously dust the top with confectioners' sugar while the Panforte is warm.

Once it has cooled completely, tightly wrap the Panforte in plastic wrap and store in a cool, dry place.  When wrapped well, the Panforte will keep for several months.

Serve the Panforte in small wedges; it is quite rich!

Note that for this recipe I used the Candied Orange Peel and the Candied Lemon Peel I made!  :)

The original version of this recipe came from a free Christmas cookbook, Figgy Pudding, Stollen and Tamales, from Knowledge Quest.

*source:  Wikipedia

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Candied Lemon Peel

I made Candied Lemon Peel today...for the same reasons I made Candied Orange Peel last week!

I used the same recipe.  The only difference I noticed was that it didn't seem to take as long for the Candied Lemon Peel to cook.

Drying

Done!

Candied Orange Peel

I made Candied Orange Peel today...not because I particularly wanted to make Candied Orange Peel, but because I wanted to make a recipe that called for candied orange peel as one of the ingredients.  I could not find it in any store in my area.  I did find European Candied Orange Peel on the Internet here, but I decided I wanted neither to pay $14.95 for 8 ounces plus the cost of shipping nor to wait days or weeks for it to arrive.  So...make Candied Orange Peel, I did!

I found these two recipes on the Internet:
   Food Network
   Bright-Eyed Baker

Here is the recipe I used:

Candied Orange Peel

       3 navel oranges
       1 1/2 cups sugar
       3/4 cup water
       additional sugar (to coat)

1.    Rinse the oranges.
2.    Cut off the top and bottom of each orange.  Score the skin into quarters.
3.    Remove the skin (peel and pith).  Cut the skin into strips about 1/8-inch
       wide.  (Refrigerate the oranges for another use.)
4.    Place the strips of peel in a large saucepan and cover with cold water.
5.    Bring to a full boil on high heat.
6.    Drain the water from the strips of peel.
7.    Repeat steps 4-6 two more times.
8.    In a medium saucepan, whisk together the 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 3/4 cup
       of water.  Bring to a simmer.
9.    Let the mixture cook for 8-9 minutes at a constant simmer.
10.  Add the strips of peel and cook for 45-60 minutes at a constant simmer,
       without stirring.  (If necessary, swirl the pan to make sure all of the strips
       of peel get covered with the syrup.)  At the end of the cooking time, the
       strips of peel will be translucent.

Cooking

11.  Drain any remaining syrup.
12.  Spread the strips of peel on a drying rack.  Allow them to dry for 4-5 hours.

Drying

13.  Cut the strips of peel into small pieces and toss with additional sugar to
       coat.

Done!

14.  Store the Candied Orange Peel in an airtight container.

Yield:  approximately 2 1/2 cups

The aroma of the cooking orange peel is lovely!  :)

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