Festive Pistachio, Fig & Honey Panforte

December 16, 2014

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Today I share with you a sweet little recipe I created recently to share with family and friends during this festive season. I am not a huge Christmas cake fan, however, I do like to offer a little treat when people come to visit during the season of giving.

This will be the last recipe I share for 2014. Summer is here and the holiday season is best enjoyed with little distraction from screens and gadgets. Instead, I am looking forward to a slower pace I recall from my childhood, and sharing these simpler joys with my little people. Swimming in the sea, biking and picnics along the river, eating summer fruit until the juice drips down your chin, camping by the sea… What are your favourite summer escapades?

Pistachio Fig & Honey Panforte

This is my take on the traditional Italian panforte, a glorious combination of spices, dried fruit, whole nuts and honey packaged in a dense little cake. Sliced thinly it is delightful enjoyed with a cuppa and good company.

Servings 2 small cakes

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup hazelnuts
• 1 cup blanched almonds
• 1/3 cup pistachios
• 3/4 cup chopped dried figs
• 1/4 cup candied citrus
• zest of 1 orange
• 100 g chopped dark chocolate – I used Whittaker's 72%
• 1/2 cup ground almonds or flour of choice
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• pinch of ground cloves
• pinch of grated nutmeg
• pinch of sea salt
• 3/4 cup honey
• 30 g butter or coconut oil

Instructions

• Preheat oven 160C. Line the base of a 25cm round cake tin or 2 x loaf tins.
• First toast the hazelnuts and almonds in the oven for 10 minutes. Rub the skins off the hazelnuts with a clean tea towel.
• In a large bowl combine the nuts, dried fruit, orange zest, chocolate, flour, spices and salt.
• Heat the honey and butter [or coconut oil] together in a saucepan until melted together. Pour this over the dry ingredients and fold together. Spoon the mixture into the tin/s and use a spatula to spread and press down evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes until firm to touch. Leave to cool completely in the tin/s on a cooling rack.
• Once cool remove from the tin/s and wrap in grease-proof paper and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes

These also make lovely edible gifts - Cut into quarters [round cake] or halves [rectangle cakes], and wrap in brown paper and kitchen string.

Today I share with you a sweet little recipe I created recently to share with family and friends during this festive season. I am not a huge Christmas cake fan, however, I do like to offer a little treat when people come to visit during the season of giving.

This will be the last recipe I share for 2014. Summer is here and the holiday season is best enjoyed with little distraction from screens and gadgets. Instead, I am looking forward to a slower pace I recall from my childhood, and sharing these simpler joys with my little people. Swimming in the sea, biking and picnics along the river, eating summer fruit until the juice drips down your chin, camping by the sea… What are your favourite summer escapades?

Before I go, I want to thank YOU… For reading, commenting, and cooking my recipes. To those of you who came along to a cooking workshop this year. It was my first year back teaching and I thoroughly enjoyed it, although I have to say the juggle of family life with a 2 & 4-year-old in the nest had its challenges at times. Thank you for receiving my little self-published 2015 recipe calendar with open arms. It is these little projects and your interest that make my time here sharing recipes so worth it.

Although I will be a little quiet on here and on Facebook for the holiday season, I will keep up the occasional image sharing on Instagram. Maybe I will see you there too?! You can find me @nicolagallowayfood.

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