|
This
specialty from Siena is usually eaten in the winter, especially over
Christmas and New Year's Eve.
How to make the panforte di Siena:
Mix 1 tsp. of cinnamon with 1 oz. of flour (a mixture known as polverino).
Set aside. Pound the peppercorns, cloves, and coriander seeds, and mix
the resulting powder with the remaining cinnamon and nutmeg (this
mixture is locally known as droghe).
Dice the candied fruit and mince the walnuts. Mix both with the whole
almonds. Sift in 5 oz. flour with the cinammon and nutmeg and mix
together. Set aside. Cook the sugar with 2 tbs. water in an unlined
copper pan until browned and caramelized. Knead the previously set aside
mixture into the cooked sugar until you get a smooth mixture.
Butter and dust with flour a 10-in. round cake mold. Cover the bottom
with thin flat wafers and pour in the mixture, (it will probably be
about 3/4-in. thick) sprinkling generously with polverino. Bake
at 350ºF for 30-40 min. Let set and cool in its mold. Remove from mold
and panforte is ready to serve. It may be kept for 2-3 weeks.
Note:
2 tbs. of water may be substituted with the juice of 1/2 lemon; its
acidity will prevent the sugar from lumping.
Recipe courtesy of The Italian Trade Commission.
| 
