Panforte di Siena

Panforte is an excellent Christmas cake alternative, but really – it is also tremendous any time of year!

My first encounter with traditional panforte was in the picturesque Tuscan city of Siena, the birthplace of this fabulous recipe. I was never far away from freshly made variations of panforte no matter where I ventured. It wasn’t difficult for me to head into several specialty bakers and sample some of their creations. It was a thrilling day.

Panforte latterly means strong bread, but it’s not really a bread at all. The original creation probably occurred around 1830 by monks and nuns in the Tuscan area, only it was called Panpepato (spiced or peppered bread). It is similar to fruit cake or spiced bread – perhaps even close to gingerbread. But, it is much denser than bread and thicker than gingerbread. There are plenty of variations, which means you can take a lot of liberties with the ingredients in making this recipe – try different nuts, fruits and spices to see what you like the most.

I think it is the perfect afternoon treat with a coffee or tea…and it certainly makes for a nice gift!

Yield: Makes 16 wedges