First published 9 December 2012
Contains a minimum of white flour and no refined white sugar (except the icing sugar which is optional).
Here is my customised take on panforte (which is usually based on dried figs and too much flour):
Mix
400 g mixed nuts, can be hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, pistacios, and even some pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds, lightly dry-roasted (optional) and coarsely chopped
with
400 g mixed dried fruit, can be dates, apricots – figs if you insist but I prefer dates and dried apricots with a little bit of candied orange peel and some ginger in some form or other (stem ginger in a syrup, or candied, optional but to me, ginger in this recipe is essential). I would imagine dried cherries would also work
and
3 tblsp cocoa powder
1,5 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp roasted, ground cloves
1 tsp roasted ground coriander seeds
Ground seeds from ten cardamom pods
1 tsp ground black pepper
Heat 400 g of a mixture of honey, brown sugar and syrup – maple, or ginger syrup – must not boil – and add 150 g dark chocolate and two tblsp butter or oil (I am an olive oil freak so that is what I always use).
Pour over the fruit/nuts/spice mixture, mix well (most easily done with your hands but be aware of the heat). Press the mixture into a well-greased oven-proof plate or a round baking tin with baking paper covering the bottom. You may have to use a bit of brute force as the mixture settles. Make sure there are no air pockets at the bottom, sides or corners. Make the surface as smooth as possible.
This portion fits into a baking plate measuring 25×25 cm and will then be a couple of cm tall.
Bake at 150 degrees C in 35-50 minutes depending on the thickness of the layer. The cake should still feel slightly soft and wobbly in the middle, since it does not set completely until it cools off.
Dust with icing sugar. Keep well wrapped in clling-film in the fridge and it will keep for weeks.