In many countries around the world this is the time of year when traditional Christmas baking is done, Joan Bishop writes.
With our predominantly European origins, the focus in New Zealand is on Christmas cake, fruit mince pies and plum pudding. All of these are heavily fruited, embellished with nuts, delectable spices and a splash or two of spirits.
This year as well as my usual Christmas cake I will be making Panpepato, a fabulously spicy cake which is also chock-full of fruit and nuts plus the surprising addition of black pepper.
This dense rich Italian dessert cake dates back more than a thousand years.
The original name of panforte was panpepato, (peppered bread). Along with a number of other spices, it contained quite a lot of pepper which was a rare and expensive spice at that time.
Documents from 1205 show that panpepato was paid to the monks and nuns of a local monastery in Sienna as a tax. There are also references to the Crusaders carrying panpepato, a durable confection, energy and nutrient rich, which helped sustain them on their travels.
I have taken a few liberties with this recipe, swapping fruit and nuts to suit and simplifying where possible. Citron, candied peel and dried figs are the most commonly used fruits in early panpepato recipes.
I don't particularly like candied peel and I wanted fruits that burst with heaps of aromatic flavour. I have used New Zealand dried apricots with their sweet-sharp tang and crystallised ginger with its heady zing along with liqueur-soaked raisins.
Alas, you probably won't be able to find New Zealand dried apricots until next season. I find the Turkish variety rather lacking in flavour so I have used dried peaches as a substitute until the new crop of apricots becomes available.
The process of making panpepato is simple and straightforward. No simmering of sugar solutions until soft ball stage and no sugar thermometers needed.
The chocolate, sugar and honey are melted together and then mixed with the remaining ingredients before being baked. Do not be tempted to leave out the pepper; it adds the wow factor to this cake.
Chocolatey, spicy and more baked confectionery than cake, panpepato is quite expensive to make but it is usually served in slim slices with coffee or a dessert wine after a meal.
I believe some enjoy it with their coffee at breakfast. I am very partial to panpepato, so maybe on Christmas Day I too will have a slice with my breakfast coffee.
Photo by Linda Robertson.
Panpepato
Makes 1 22cm cake
Ingredients
80g raisins
¼ cup Grand Marnier, or other citrus-based liqueur
130g standard flour
20g cocoa powder
1 tsp each finely ground black pepper, ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
130g whole, brown skinned almonds
120g hazelnuts, no need to remove skins
90g New Zealand dried apricots, chopped
80g crystallised ginger, chopped
⅔ cup runny honey
50g caster sugar
80g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped
grated zest of two oranges
Method
Line the base of a 22cm round cake tin with non-stick paper and lightly oil the sides.
Preheat the oven to 170oC.
Place the raisins in a microwave-proof bowl, add the liqueur and cover with cling film. Microwave on 50% power for 2 minutes.
The raisins will plump up as they absorb the liqueur. Not quite all the liquid will be absorbed by the raisins; the little remaining will be stirred into the cake mixture along with the raisins.
Set aside to cool. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a medium bowl. Add the almonds, hazelnuts, dried apricots and ginger and stir to mix well.
Combine the honey, sugar and the chocolate in another microwave-safe container and microwave on 50% power for about a minute. Stir and repeat until melted and smoothly blended together.
Or, on the stove top in a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt together the honey, sugar and chocolate, stirring until smooth. Do not let the bowl touch the water.
Add the liqueur-soaked raisins, the orange zest and the still warm honey-chocolate mixture to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. This is quite a stiff mixture.
Tip into the prepared cake tin and press evenly over the base of the tin using the back of a spoon or your hands moistened with water.
Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. The cake will be firm but still soft when touched.
Leave to cool in the tin for about 30 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife. Invert on to a plate then turn right side up and cool completely.
Wrap in foil and store in the fridge if the weather is hot. Otherwise, store in a cool place.
It will keep for several weeks. Lovely to have on hand over the Christmas holidays as a special treat to serve with coffee. A wedge of panpepato makes a wonderful gift.
