SPICY PANFORTE

SERVES 12

PREP + COOKING TIME 1 HOUR 15 MINUTES, PLUS OVERNIGHT COOLING TIME

• 1 medium orange (240 g)

• ½ cup (75 g) all-purpose flour

• 1 tbsp mixed spice

• 2 tsp ground cardamom

• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper • 1/3 cup (40 g) ground almonds

• 1 cup (120 g) skinless hazelnuts, roasted

• ½ cup (50 g) walnut halves, roasted

• ½ cup (70 g) pistachios, roasted lightly

• ½ cup (125 g) coarsely chopped glacé apricots

• ½ cup (75 g) dried sour cherries

• ½ cup (110 g) sweetened uncrystallised ginger

• 100g white chocolate, chopped coarsely

• ½ cup (110 g) caster sugar

• ½ cup (175 g) honey

• 1 tbsp water

• 1 tbsp icing sugar

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line base and side of a 20 cm springform tin with baking paper.

2. Remove rind from orange with a zester. (Or peel orange thinly with a vegetable peeler, avoiding any white pith. Slice into long thin strips.

3. Sift flour and spices into a large bowl. Stir in orange zest, ground almonds, nuts, fruit, ginger and chocolate.

4. Stir caster sugar, honey and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes or until a sugar thermometer reaches 116°C.

5. Add sugar syrup to flour mixture; stir well. Press mixture firmly into tin; smooth surface.

6. Bake panforte for 45 minutes or until it comes away slightly from the edge of tin. Leave panforte in tin overnight to cool.

7. Just before serving, dust with icing sugar. Slice into thin wedges.

DO AHEAD

Panforte can be made up to 2 weeks ahead; store in an airtight container at room temperature.