The Cook as Artist
The Cook as Artist
Panforte- the Taste of a Sienese Christmas
The Cook as Artist
The Cook as Artist
Panforte- the Taste of a Sienese Christmas
Eileen Tunbridge is a Friend of the Whitworth and one of our Trustees. Among her many talents, she is a brilliant cook. You can see her in the photo at the head of this piece, and next to her, the table of cakes she prepared for our Christmas Party for the Whitworth Staff in December 2019. We are still talking about them now!
In this beautifully illustrated article, Eileen tells us how to make Panforte, a Sienese recipe, as a treat to eat or a gift to give.
"This Italian speciality tastes of Christmas and is perfect as a homemade gift, or for finishing off a festive meal.
I have made this many times. You can personalise it by using a different mix of nuts or your own favourite tipple. Just be sure to keep the ratios the same.
This recipe is taken from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/panforte_54621
Ingredients
sunflower or vegetable oil, for greasing
edible rice paper (see recipe tip)
125g/4½oz whole, blanched almonds
100g/3½oz shelled walnut pieces
75g/2¾oz shelled pistachios
100g/3½oz candied peel, whole chunks if you can, finely chopped
100g/3½oz dried figs, chopped
100g/3½oz stoned dates, chopped
50g/1¾oz dried apricots, chopped
75g/2¾oz plain flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
½ tsp ground ginger
200g/7oz runny honey
200g/7oz golden caster sugar
2 tbsp marsala or sweet-medium sherry
icing sugar, to dust
Method
Heat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease the base of a 20cm/8in springform or loose-bottomed cake tin with a little of the oil, then line with edible rice paper (or baking paper if you can’t find it). Tip the almonds onto a baking tray and roast for 5–8 minutes, or until lightly golden-brown. Remove and set aside to cool. Lower the oven temperature to 150C/Fan 130C/Gas 2.
When the almonds are cool enough to handle, roughly chop with the walnuts and pistachios.
Combine the spices and flour together.
Tip into a mixing bowl with all the dried fruit, flour, cocoa and spices. Mix together.
Continue to mix until evenly covered.
Combine the honey, sugar and marsala (or sherry).
Heat in a saucepan over a medium heat until the sugar has melted.
Allow to bubble for 3 minutes, no longer as this will make the mixture hard.
Carefully pour over the fruit-nut mixture and mix through. Scrape into the tin and use a wet spoon to press the mixture down into a firm, flat cake.
Bake for 1 hour – 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the surface is still soft, but not sticky to touch, be careful not to overcook as it will become tough.
Cool the panforte in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully run a palette knife around the edge to release, and remove from the tin. If using edible paper, keep on, otherwise remove the baking paper.
Cool completely on a wire rack, then dust thickly with icing sugar.
This keeps well for a month after making, so why not gift whole rounds, or wedges, to friends and family at Christmas?
Just wrap well in baking parchment first, or use pretty tins."
Buon Natale!
Eileen Tunbridge is a Friend of the Whitworth and one of our Trustees. Among her many talents, she is a brilliant cook. You can see her in the photo at the head of this piece, and next to her, the table of cakes she prepared for our Christmas Party for the Whitworth Staff in December 2019. We are still talking about them now!
In this beautifully illustrated article, Eileen tells us how to make Panforte, a Sienese recipe, as a treat to eat or a gift to give.
"This Italian speciality tastes of Christmas and is perfect as a homemade gift, or for finishing off a festive meal.
I have made this many times. You can personalise it by using a different mix of nuts or your own favourite tipple. Just be sure to keep the ratios the same.
This recipe is taken from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/panforte_54621
Ingredients
sunflower or vegetable oil, for greasing
edible rice paper (see recipe tip)
125g/4½oz whole, blanched almonds
100g/3½oz shelled walnut pieces
75g/2¾oz shelled pistachios
100g/3½oz candied peel, whole chunks if you can, finely chopped
100g/3½oz dried figs, chopped
100g/3½oz stoned dates, chopped
50g/1¾oz dried apricots, chopped
75g/2¾oz plain flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
½ tsp ground ginger
200g/7oz runny honey
200g/7oz golden caster sugar
2 tbsp marsala or sweet-medium sherry
icing sugar, to dust
Method
Heat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease the base of a 20cm/8in springform or loose-bottomed cake tin with a little of the oil, then line with edible rice paper (or baking paper if you can’t find it). Tip the almonds onto a baking tray and roast for 5–8 minutes, or until lightly golden-brown. Remove and set aside to cool. Lower the oven temperature to 150C/Fan 130C/Gas 2.
When the almonds are cool enough to handle, roughly chop with the walnuts and pistachios.
Combine the spices and flour together.
Tip into a mixing bowl with all the dried fruit, flour, cocoa and spices. Mix together.
Continue to mix until evenly covered.
Combine the honey, sugar and marsala (or sherry).
Heat in a saucepan over a medium heat until the sugar has melted.
Allow to bubble for 3 minutes, no longer as this will make the mixture hard.
Carefully pour over the fruit-nut mixture and mix through. Scrape into the tin and use a wet spoon to press the mixture down into a firm, flat cake.
Bake for 1 hour – 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the surface is still soft, but not sticky to touch, be careful not to overcook as it will become tough.
Cool the panforte in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully run a palette knife around the edge to release, and remove from the tin. If using edible paper, keep on, otherwise remove the baking paper.
Cool completely on a wire rack, then dust thickly with icing sugar.
This keeps well for a month after making, so why not gift whole rounds, or wedges, to friends and family at Christmas?
Just wrap well in baking parchment first, or use pretty tins."
Comments & Discussion
No comments to display