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Panforte Margherita

We first had Panforte Margherita when we stopped into a bakery in Volerra on our way to San Gimignano. The panforte was much lighter in color and less dense than the usual version, with flavor dominated by orange peel and almonds. After examining several versions around the Internet and then some experimentation, I think I've got pretty close to the Volterra version.

Ingredients:

  • 250 g sugar (about 1 1/4 cups)
  • 5 T water
  • 250 g candied orange peel, diced. (forgot to measure this -- about 2 cups, maybe?)
  • 100 g dried apricots, diced. (Sunkist in the bag are amazingly tender and flavorful -- the Sunkist in the larger round container are not as good, and neither are others I've found at the health food store). Could substitute nearly any dried or candied fruit for this.
  • 250 g sliced almonds (slivered okay too. About 2 1/2 cups)
  • 100 g almond or macaroon (better) paste, cut into tiny pieces (forgot to measure this also -- about 1/2 cup, maybe?)
  • 50 g flour (1/2 cup)
  • 5 g cinnamon (1 t)
  • 3 g nutmeg (1/2 t)

Instructions:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  • Prepare a 7 or 8 inch spring form pan, lining the bottom with a large rice wafer or greased parchment paper, and greasing the sides well with butter or oil. Or I often use 3 small disposible aluminum pans (5 inch diameter, #4012), spraying them with oil. Eat one and give two away!
  • Spread the sliced almonds on a heavy cookie sheet and roast at 350F for 6-7 minutes.
  • If the candied orange peel is coated with granulated sugar, rinse it off and then pat dry (I believe the granulated sugar can cause the panforte to crystalize).
  • Combine the peel, apricots and nuts in a large bowl.
  • Mix the spices into the flour.
  • Add the flour mixture to the nuts and fruit and mix well.
  • Make a syrup by adding the water to the sugar and heating until it reaches the thread stage (I heat to 235 degrees F).
  • Add the syrup to the nut & fruit mixture and working quickly, mix well and then press into the prepared pan.
  • Sprinkle with powdered sugar. If you use a 7 inch pan, cook for 40 minutes at 325, and if you use a 8 inch pan, cook for 350 for 30 min. Let cool completely before removing from pan.
  • When cooled, sprinkle top and sides with more powdered sugar.

Notes:

This is pretty rich, so it's good to start off serving thin slices. It's great with a good sipping rum or bourbon, which plays nicely against the sweetness of the panforte.

I recommend using homemade candied orange peel for this recipe:

  • score 5 large naval oranges so that each orange peels in 4 pieces. Cut each piece in half. Cut off most of the pith using the same method you would use to remove skin from a fish filet.
  • heat some water to boling in a small pan, cook the peels for 1 min, then drain
  • rinse and repeat using fresh water (boil for 1 min, drain)
  • combine 2c water with 2c sugar and 2T corn syrup in same small pan, heat to boil, then add peels and cook for 1 hour barely simmering. Place the peels to drain on a cooling rack with wax paper underneath to catch drips
  • let dry overnight (or 8 hours or so).