Difficulty: **/*****

Servings: 4 people

Time: 2 h

Ingredients:

- 130 gr Flour - 150 gr Honey - 150 gr Icing sugar - 150 gr Almonds - 100 gr Hazelnuts - 50 gr Walnuts - 6 Eggs - 300 gr Mixed candied fruit (orange, pumpkin and cedar) - 1 tsp Cinnamon - 1 tsp Nutmeg - 5 Cloves diced - Host paper

Origin:

The term "Panforte" derives from its "strong" taste resulting from the fermentation of the fruits, which at the time, were not candied. Numerous stories and legends mingle around this very old cake. The first written documents that allude to a spice bread in Italy date back to a document of the year 1205, which cites the so-called "Pan Pepatus" (for the important presence of Oriental spices and pepper it contained). Although it was prepared exclusively for the aristocracy and the clergy, it is said that the Crusaders brought this sweet with them in the holy war due to its long conservation. In 1515, during a siege of the city of Siena, a nun of the monastery of Montecelso, sister Berta, in order to feed the starving population and to restore the strength of the Siena soldiers, decided to replace fresh fruit with fruit and honey, adding almonds and spices. Another legend says that the "Panforte was randomly created by sister Geneva. She retired in a convent after learning that her beloved, Sir Giannetto from Perugia, had died during the Crusade. But, one day, while she was busy preparing an applecake, she heard a voice...the voice of her beloved and, due to the joy and the excitement, she threw all spices she had into the dough, giving rise to the "Panforte"!

Preparation:

1) In a pan, melt on low heat the honey and the icing sugar, stirring constantly. 2) When it starts to froth, add 1/2 glass of water, almonds, hazelnuts and toasted walnuts, flour, candied fruits and the spices (nutmegs and diced cloves). 3) Mix well all ingredients. 4) Spread the host paper on the bottom of a baking pan, possibly hinged, with a diameter of about 20 cm. 5) Turn the mixture into the baking dish and level it with the bottom of a glass. 6) Cook for 30 minutes in preheated oven at 160°/170°. 7) Remove from oven and let cool. 8) Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.