Panforte is a wonderful sweet confection full of nuts, spices, citrus, and a sticky honey syrup that binds everything together. Originating in Italy, panforte has a chewy texture and is commonly served as a dessert around Christmas with coffee or espresso.
Making panforte is incredibly easy; all you have to do is mix the nuts with the candied orange peel, citron, flour, cinnamon, pepper, cloves, and honey syrup until combined. Then, it gets pressed into a cake pan before being baked in the oven.
What is Panforte?
Panforte is a type of chewy confection that originated in Tuscany during the 13th century. It is very dense, often comprising a mixture of nuts, dried fruit, spices, and honey to make cake-shaped dessert. The term “Panforte” literally means “strong bread” in reference to the spices that are added to it.
Pro Tips
- To amplify the flavors in this panforte, consider pre-toasting the nuts.
- Boiling the sugar with the water will help dissolve the sugar, ensuring it doesn’t have a granular texture.
- Don’t overbake the panforte. It should be baked just long enough that it sets and has a chewy texture, but not so long that it dries out.
- Feel free to replace the almonds or hazelnuts with other types of nuts that are more available to use such as pistachios, walnuts, pecans, or peanuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do Italians Eat Panforte?
In Italy, panforte is often served in wedges with glasses of vin santo, a type of dessert wine. It can also sometimes be served with cheeses for an addition of something savory.
Is Panforte Similar to a Fruitcake?
Panforte does have some similarities to traditional rum-soaked fruitcake because it contains both dried fruit and nuts. However, it has a much higher proportion of nuts and a denser texture, whereas fruitcake tends to have a cakier texture. Panforte also doesn’t contain any alcohol.
What is the Difference Between Pannettone and Panforte?
Pannettone is more bread-like containing dried fruits, and can be served as a breakfast or for dessert. Meanwhile, panforte is a confection that is quite dense and chewy, and full of nuts and dried fruit.
How to Store Panforte
Panforte can be placed in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days at room temperature. Alternatively, if you would like to keep it fresher for longer, you could place it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Ingredients
How to Make Italian Panforte
In a large bowl, mix the nuts with the flour, dried fruit, and spices until combined.
In a large bowl, mix the nuts with the flour, dried fruit, and spices until combined.
Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat it until the sugar dissolves and the mixture has almost reached a boil.
Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat it until the sugar dissolves and the mixture has almost reached a boil.
Stir the honey into the syrup until smooth.
Stir the honey into the syrup until smooth.
Spread the mixture into a parchment-lined round cake pan. Bake it in a 350 F (180 C) oven for 25 minutes.
Add the honey mixture to the dry mixture, and stir until combined.
Allow it to cool before dusting it with icing sugar and serving it sliced in wedges.
Spread the mixture into a parchment-lined round cake pan. Bake it in a 350 F (180 C) oven for 25 minutes.
Allow it to cool before dusting it with icing sugar and serving it sliced in wedges.
;Resize,width=767;)
