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Rich chocolate panforte sliced into wedges showing chewy fruit, roasted nuts, and icing dusting ready for Christmas gifting

Chocolate Panforte

A rich, chewy Italian chocolate panforte made with roasted nuts, dried fruit, honey, and cocoa. This festive Tuscan classic is part cake, part confection — beautifully spiced, easy to slice, and perfect for gifting. It keeps for weeks and tastes even better with time.
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Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Baking
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 250 gm Blanched almonds lightly roasted
  • 250 gm hazelnuts skinned lightly roasted
  • 140 gm Glace apricots chopped
  • 140 gm Glace pineapple
  • 100 gm Mixed peel
  • 20 gm orange rind
  • 200 gm Plain flour
  • 40 gm Cocoa
  • 10 gm Cinnamon
  • 180 gm Dark chocolate (Note 1)
  • 336 gm Castor Sugar
  • 500 gm Honey
  • Icing sugar for dusting

Equipment

  • 1 Saucepan
  • 1 Spoon
  • 2 roasting pans
  • 1 large stainless bowl
  • 1 double boiler
  • 1 citrus zester
  • 1 chopping board
  • 1 knife
  • 2 12 cm cake tins
  • 1 14cm square tin

Method
 

  1. Spread almonds on a tray and toast in the oven
  2. Chop hazelnuts and toast lightly
  3. Roughly chop almonds
  4. Combine with chopped apricots, pineapple, mixed peel, orange zest, flour, sifted cocoa and cinnamon
  5. Mix through well
  6. Melt chocolate in a double boiler
  7. In a separate pot, dissolve honey and sugar, stirring until comes to boil
  8. Brush sides of pot down to stop crystallisation
  9. Reduce heat and simmer on low until syrup forms a soft ball
  10. Add syrup and chocolate to fruit and into mixture
  11. Mix well
  12. Grease and line sides and base with silicone paper
  13. Spread mix evenly and quickly into tin
  14. Bake 150 C until just set (20 minutes)
  15. Remember this is a noughat so do not over cook
  16. It will set when cold
  17. Cool completely out of tin
  18. Dust with sifted icing sugar
  19. Pack in cellophane and tie with ribbon

Video

Notes

Note 1-Couverture chocolate 45-55% is ideal but you will still get good results with dark baking chocolate