Panforte — An Italian Christmas Tradition
by Lady Scholastica Joycors - The Culinary Bard
Making and creating traditions are big at Christmas – so what better time to enjoy a portion of fruit cake? Panforte is a traditional dessert that contains fruit and nuts, not to mention honey, spices and almonds.
Panforte goes back to Siena around 1200s by a novitiate nun, Suor Leta. According to the legend, she discovered a mound of sugar, spices, and almonds at the bottom of the spice cabinet—mice had chewed holes in the bags, and the precious offerings made by pilgrims returning from the Holy Land were hopelessly mixed. But instead of wasting the food the nun cooked everything on the fire, adding honey to prevent the mixture from sticking to the pot. As the tale is told, the devil, shaped like a black cat, talked to the nun, asking her to taste the mixture, and she dumped the hot concoction on the cat to make it go away. The heavenly aroma had overcome the devil's stench, and what was left in the pot was enough to taste the mixture and realize what a delicious recipe she had come up with. It is said after that Panforte was used as payment for the monks and nuns of the local monastery.
Others say Panforte has its origins in the time of Jesus's birth: An orphan who followed the comet leading to the nativity scene wanted to offer the messiah a crust of bread he had in his pocket. Joseph took it, gave a crumb to one of the birds whose nest was in the rafters overhead and returned the rest to the boy, who assumed his gift was too poor and cried at the thought. But a voice thanked him, and when he returned home to the hovel he shared with his grandmother he found his parents, his mother radiant and his father in burnished armor, while the table was decked for a feast, with sumptuous platters arranged around an exquisite pastry made with almonds, honey, and candied fruit. (Onge, 2020)
Some culinary historians believe it was inspired by lokum, aka Turkish delight, the ancient date- and nut-based confection popular in different forms in several Middle Eastern countries to this day, brought back to Tuscany by medieval-era crusaders. According to local lore, Sienese soldiers won the Battle of Montaperti against their rivals, the Florentines, in 1260, thanks in part to the spiced treat, which is not only packed with protein-powered energy but also travels well. (Bizzarri, 2019)
One ingredient — black pepper — was especially prized in medieval times: Monasteries and convents accepted pepper, which was once as precious as gold, as a tithe, in place of currency. The monks and nuns baked the surplus of pepper into panforte, which is also known in Tuscany as panpepato, pepper bread. (Bizzarri, 2019) This could well be part of the reasoning for the translation of panforte is strong bread.
The truth is no one know for certain who actually invented panforte but the origins speak that it is surrounded by magic. Over the centuries it has seen many variations and as new ingredients were discovered or became available new varieties were created. In 1820 in Rome they introduced Pasticceria Parent which included chocolate. Later a panforte nero and panforte Margherita, named after Queen Margherita, were created dusted in confectioner's sugar and much more delicate.
This popular dessert is hugely popular in its homeland of Italy and is a Christmas tradition – there are a lot of ingredients but it is relatively easy to make. The sugar is dissolved in honey and nuts, with the mixture of this and the fruits and spices blended together and poured into a shallow pan to cook. A topping of icing sugar is recommended for that final Wintery flourish. (Bensalhia, 2015)
Panforte Tradizionale
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups peeled, coarsely chopped hazelnuts, toasted
1 ½ cups peeled, coarsely chopped almonds, toasted
1 cup soft, dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1 cup soft, dried figs, coarsely chopped
½ cup candied orange peel, coarsely chopped
½ cup candied lemon peel, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
½ cup honey
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Heat your oven to 300 degrees F. You will use an 8-inch springform pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper (the same size as the bottom of the pan) and place on the inside bottom of the pan. Grease the parchment with butter.
2. Mix the flour, nuts, dried and candied fruit, spices and salt in a mixing bowl.
3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir the sugar, honey and butter until the mixture reaches a boil. Keep stirring until it reaches a temperature of about 230 degrees F, usually about 2 minutes after reaching the boiling point.
4. Pour the boiling syrup over the ingredients in the mixing bowl. Add the vanilla. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined and the ingredients are well-distributed. Pour the mixture into the prepared springform pan and press it compactly into the pan with your fingers, smoothing the top with a spatula.
5. Bake, 45 minutes. Let cool completely, then remove the panforte from the pan. Sprinkle heavily with powdered sugar.
Panforte keeps well — its flavors deepen over time — and can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two months. Cut with a serrated knife and serve in thin slices, accompanied by a fine vin santo.
Bibliography
Bensalhia, J. (2015, December 2015). 10 Italian Holiday Desserts You Must Have On Your Table. Retrieved December 2020, from Italy Magazine: https://www.italymagazine.com/featured-story/10-italian-holiday-desserts-you-must-have-your-table
Bizzarri, A. (2019, December 03). How to make panforte, Italy’s medieval-era fruitcake with a peppery kick. Retrieved 12 2020, from Chicago Tribute: https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/recipes/sc-food-panforte-italian-christmas-treat-1129-20191203-o3j546zbirgxpdghdjeb5vhvju-story.html
Onge, D. S. (2020, January 04). The History of Panforte. Retrieved December 2020, from the Spruce Eats: https://www.thespruceeats.com/panforte-ancient-christmas-sweet-from-siena-4082544
©2020 MyLinda Butterworth (scholastica.ppa@gmail.com) This article first appeared in The Yeoman - December 2020
Permission is granted for republication in SCA-related publications, provided the author is credited and receives a copy.
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