573885 Thu Nov 20 10:47:14 -0800 2008 9 31 Home Cooking 0 4189361 I just recently tried panforte for the first time and I *loved* it! The version I had, the dried fruits and nuts were ground fine- you really couldn't pick out different textures necessarily. What recipe do you all use? I'm considering using this Bon Appetit recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hazelnut-Panforte-233420 Thu Nov 20 10:47:14 -0800 2008 12813 Katie Nell 1 4190040 I've used this chocolate-hazelnut panforte recipe, also from Bon Appetit, which was excellent - very complex. I'm not a fan of candied citron, so I used dried cherries instead, which was really good. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Hazelnut-Panforte-2869 Thu Nov 20 14:18:02 -0800 2008 4189361 10074 Caitlin McGrath 2 4190087 Yes, I thought that one looked good too, but wasn't sure about the citron. I bet the cranberries would be good! Thu Nov 20 14:37:36 -0800 2008 4190040 12813 Katie Nell 1 4190088 I like this recipe a lot -- I play with the proportions and use whatever fruit I want. I typically use a combo of candied peel, dried figs, and golden raisins. http://www.divinacucina.com/code/panforte.html Thu Nov 20 14:38:02 -0800 2008 4189361 10669 Amuse Bouches 2 4190117 I use the one in Carol Field's The Italian Baker. It is quite excellent. Thu Nov 20 14:50:59 -0800 2008 4190088 11130 jen kalb 3 4190136 Is this pretty close to the original recipe? http://cookalmostanything.blogspot.com/2006/12/panforte.html Interesting that it doesn't really have any dried fruits in it compared to all the other recipes- just the citron. Thu Nov 20 14:56:40 -0800 2008 4190117 12813 Katie Nell 4 4190147 Yeah, nuts and candied peel is closer to what you get in Italy (my parents lived in Florence for a year when I was in law school, and I spent Christmas with them and we bought panforte every day). I think to have it be close to a real Panforte Margherita, you need to have candied melon. Thu Nov 20 15:02:10 -0800 2008 4190136 10669 Amuse Bouches 4 4190838 The blogger picks it up pretty well, katie. There are a few small differences - Field's recipe includes 1 tsp of grated lemon zest and does not include the cocoa in the main recipe (note she also offers a variation for panforte scuro that adds 2 oz (60 grams) chopped figs and. 1-2 tbsp cocoa) She calls for roasting the almonds for 10-15 min til golden and also gives instructions for roasting and skinning the hazelnuts (always a pain but necessary)`Field calls for 3/4 cup of honey - I believe the online number of grams may be too high for this ingredient. Field mixes all the dry ingredients in at once - omitting the sifting step. She also butters the baking paper as well as the pan. Finally there is some confusion about the cooking temp - Field initially says to preheat the oven to 350 but later in the recipe says to preheat to 300. Id be inclined to preheat the oven to 350 but to turn it down to 300 when the panforte goes in the oven. this is the type of confection that should cook at a lower temp. Thu Nov 20 21:05:33 -0800 2008 4190136 11130 jen kalb 5 4191446 Thanks for the clarifications, Jen! I can't wait to make some! Fri Nov 21 07:32:05 -0800 2008 4190838 12813 Katie Nell 1 4191223 I've used the Bon Appetit recipe for two years running, both times a success. I too replaced candied citron, with dried cherries and agree they work very nicely with the chocolate and hazelnut. The one bit of advice I can give...it is important to work quickly once you are in the stirring stage because as the mixture cools it gets harder to stir! Good luck. Fri Nov 21 06:01:04 -0800 2008 4189361 117621 poptart