Panforte: A Sienese Treat

Panforte, Siena's Sweet Treat

      Christmas is a season synonymous with many things.  Fighting tooth and nail through an army of  unruly shoppers for that perfect gift.  Or the smell of pine irradiating from that ginormous Douglas fur in the living room.  Let's not forget about that blinding display of Christmas lights illuminating from the neighbor's house.  But what about the fruit cake?  You know that horrendous tasting slab of cake that people have a tendency of pawning off on unsuspecting family members and coworkers. The one, that people will either re-gift and give to that one aunt that no one really likes or simply use as a door jam.  I have good news for everyone who has ever encountered this neon colored abomination that only an absolute lunatic would attempt to call a pastry!  I give you The Panforte, Italy's amazing version of this Christmas cliche.

     The panforte or as I like to fondly think of it as Italy's most tasty pastry, is a collection of honey, nuts, dried or candied fruits and a menagerie of delightful spices that make this dense and tasty cake a mouthwatering experience, especially when it is blanketed in confectioners sugar .  This circle of tasty goodness comes from the medieval town of Siena, where it is regarded as a staple of their incredible cuisine.  You cannot pass by a bakery or pastry shop in town and not see humongous stacks of these delicious cakes all wrapped up in the most alluring of packages.  These sweet treats are traditionally brought to someone's house when invited to diner, much like Americans do with a fine bottle of wine.  Now if you ask an Italian for his or her receipt for panforte, you will be thoroughly disappointed.  A Sienese family will guard that receipt with more diligence, then Fort Knox with it's gold.  So to truly taste this magnificent treat you might have to catch the next plane for Tuscany or try the receipt I provided at the end of this article.  I hope that this new variation of  a Christmas classic might give you a new perspective on fruit cake and finally prove to the world that this pastry can be delicious and not something that the dog would turn it's noses on!

If you would like to make this delicious pastry at home, I provided a link to a good receipt at food.com:

http://www.food.com/recipe/panforte-248338

For some great fruit cake humor, take a gander at these links!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZufy-FxK0A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQfWWWTE8K4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNy96wYnNsg

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