Panforte

It's nearly Christmas, so time to make some more goodies so I can weigh a great deal more in January than I do now - not to mention my brother and his family are coming to visit and will need feeding.

Last week's effort was panforte. I use this recipe and this one as references for the basics, then throw in whatever fruit and nuts I have in the cupboard. I made two batches, one of a double recipe, and one a triple - I want to give a couple away as presents, and I need one for the bridge club Christmas party.

I start off lining my tins with edible rice paper …


… I do wish they'd make it in bigger sheets.

I use this chocolate - it's gorgeous, and I nibble away at what doesn't get used in the recipe:


Good New Zealand chocolate.

This first batch I made using toasted almonds and hazelnuts, candied peel, and raisins:


This is what they look like coming out of the oven - that little one was for me to taste.


You have to make sure they taste good if you are giving them away, don't you?

I didn't take photos of the second batch; really, when you've seen one panforte you've seen them all. For them I added some pine nuts, a fair bit of crystallised ginger, some glace cherries, chopped figs, and dates to the ingredients I used for the first lot. All panforte are now in tins in cupboard awaiting either postage to distant friends or the descent of ravening hordes.