This cakes sounds very good:
Panforte
(as adapted by Sheila and Warren Straus)
6 ounces whole unblanched almonds
6 ounces whole unblanched hazelnuts
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon finely ground pepper!
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
½ cup honey
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound dried fruit. (I used Harry and David’s mix of peaches, apricots, pineapple, prunes, etc. I think figs might be good, but Warren doesn’t like them.)
3 ounces of crystallized ginger
Garnish: Others recommend confectioner’s sugar, but I used cocoa powder, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. On separate cookie sheets toast the almonds and hazelnuts 10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 300 degrees. Rub hazelnuts in dry towel to remove skins. (This didn’t work too well for us. You might want to blanch them to get rid of skins and then toast them.) Leave skins on the almonds.
3. Chop nuts very coarsely, then toss them in a large bowl with spices, flour, and cocoa powder.
4. Grind the fruit in a meat grinder (mine has three choices and I used the medium grind) and chop the ginger fairly finely. You want to experience nuggets of ginger in the finished product. Stir fruit into the nut/flour mixture.
5. In a small saucepan cook sugar and honey to 225 degrees (soft ball stage). Immediately pour it into fruit mixture and stir. It will be very stiff.
6. I used a 9 inch spring-form pan which I had greased, floured, and lined the bottom with parchment (imperative!). Press mixture into the pan with buttered hands. Bake for an hour (mine took longer by 30 minutes or so, but my oven was on fritz) until the edges look set and the top slightly puffed. (Mine never puffed.) Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan.
7. Run a knife around the edge and remove sides. Also peel off the parchment. Then sprinkle with cocoa pepper mixture if you want. Otherwise you can sprinkle with powdered sugar when you serve it.
8. Store at room temperature for several weeks or in the fridge for longer, although someone will probably eat it before then.
http://www.packitup.com/article.asp?specific=4
Panforte
(as adapted by Sheila and Warren Straus)
6 ounces whole unblanched almonds
6 ounces whole unblanched hazelnuts
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon finely ground pepper!
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
½ cup honey
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound dried fruit. (I used Harry and David’s mix of peaches, apricots, pineapple, prunes, etc. I think figs might be good, but Warren doesn’t like them.)
3 ounces of crystallized ginger
Garnish: Others recommend confectioner’s sugar, but I used cocoa powder, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. On separate cookie sheets toast the almonds and hazelnuts 10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 300 degrees. Rub hazelnuts in dry towel to remove skins. (This didn’t work too well for us. You might want to blanch them to get rid of skins and then toast them.) Leave skins on the almonds.
3. Chop nuts very coarsely, then toss them in a large bowl with spices, flour, and cocoa powder.
4. Grind the fruit in a meat grinder (mine has three choices and I used the medium grind) and chop the ginger fairly finely. You want to experience nuggets of ginger in the finished product. Stir fruit into the nut/flour mixture.
5. In a small saucepan cook sugar and honey to 225 degrees (soft ball stage). Immediately pour it into fruit mixture and stir. It will be very stiff.
6. I used a 9 inch spring-form pan which I had greased, floured, and lined the bottom with parchment (imperative!). Press mixture into the pan with buttered hands. Bake for an hour (mine took longer by 30 minutes or so, but my oven was on fritz) until the edges look set and the top slightly puffed. (Mine never puffed.) Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan.
7. Run a knife around the edge and remove sides. Also peel off the parchment. Then sprinkle with cocoa pepper mixture if you want. Otherwise you can sprinkle with powdered sugar when you serve it.
8. Store at room temperature for several weeks or in the fridge for longer, although someone will probably eat it before then.
http://www.packitup.com/article.asp?specific=4