A dark-chocolate and sour-cherry panforte, perfect for closing a meal or presenting as a gift.
Ingredients
225g blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
150g blanched hazelnuts, (I used pistachios to give that green colour), coarsely chopped
100g dried figs, coarsely chopped
100g dried sour-cherries, coarsely chopped
30g dark chocolate (64% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
20g Dutch-process cocoa, sieved, plus 25g extra for dusting
2tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground white pepper
175g honey
75g caster sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 190C.
Use one large sheet of baking paper to line the base and sides of a 22cm round cake tin so that there are no gaps. (Don't worry about creases).
Combine nuts, figs, sour cherries, chocolate and cocoa with half the cinnamon and the white pepper in a bowl.
Stir honey and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves, then cook without boiling until syrupy, 2-3 minutes.
Working quickly, pour honey mixture over nut mixture and mix well to combine, then spoon into prepared cake tin, pressing well into tin and smooth top with a hot, wet spatula. Bake until dark and glossy (35-40 minutes). Cool completely in tin (3-4 hours).
Combine extra cocoa with remaining cinnamon, remove panforte from tin and dust top with cocoa. Wrap tightly in baking paper, then in wrapping of your choice. The flavour of panforte will develop over time so it's best eaten after a few days. It will keep wrapped for up to a month.
Recipe by Hotly Spiced at http://hotlyspiced.com/dark-chocolate-and-sour-cherry-panforte/