A prized Christmas sweet from Tuscany, panforte means "strong bread" — but it's more like an almost-flourless fruitcake.
Ingredients
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped
1 cup pecan halves, toasted, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup pitted Medjool dates, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped candied orange peel
1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup stemmed dried Mission figs, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch of ground white pepper
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 9-inch-diameter cardboard cake round
Directions
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 300°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom and sides with parchment paper; butter paper.
Mix first 16 ingredients in large bowl, tossing to separate fruit pieces. Bring honey, sugar, and butter to boil in small saucepan, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low. Place candy thermometer in mixture, tilting to submerge bulb, and cook until thermometer registers 242°F to 248°F, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Pour syrup over nut mixture; stir to blend. Immediately transfer mixture to prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until bubbling slightly at edges and top appears dry, about 55 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Cover; let stand overnight at room temperature.
Release pan sides. Remove paper from sides and bottom of panforte. Place panforte on cardboard round. (Can be made 3 weeks ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)
