We have already discussed just some of the popular, typical and delicious desserts that you might expect to try on a visit to Siena but why not try and make one of the dishes for yourself in preparation for your next trip? Step by step, we'll show you how to make the perfect Panforte. Once you're hooked on the taste, find a luxury villa in Siena and you can compare your attempts to the real thing.
Ingredients
Serves 10 people.
240g figs or pitted dates
50g honey
100g soft brown sugar
1/2 tsp each of ground cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and black pepper
250g candied fruit, such as cherries, citron, lemon and orange rind
50g blanched almonds
50g pine nuts
50g shelled hazelnuts, toasted
3-4 tbsp plain flour, sifted
50ml Vin Santo
Icing sugar to dust
Greaseproof paper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 150 C. You should also line a shallow cake tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Now mince the figs or dates and put them in a pan with water high enough just to cover the paste. Add the honey, brown sugar and all of the spices. Allow to gently cook for about 10 minutes, then pour the mixture out into a bowl – its consistency should be soft and sticky, but not wet.
3. At this point, add the candied fruit and nuts. Mix this together thoroughly and then add the flour and Vin Santo. Mix into a sticky mass and spoon the mixture into the cake tin before baking it in the oven for between 30 and 40 minutes.
4. Take out of the oven and leave to cool in the tin. Sprinkle generously with icing sugar and cut it carefully into thin wedges.
5. Serve as a dessert with a dessert wine or an espresso or at breakfast. If you're feeling extra-creative, wrap nicely in cloth or coloured tissue paper, tie with a bow and present it to someone as a gift.
Now that you have tried it for yourself, see how it's really done in Siena and sample the different versions available in the city.
Serves 10 people.
240g figs or pitted dates
50g honey
100g soft brown sugar
1/2 tsp each of ground cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and black pepper
250g candied fruit, such as cherries, citron, lemon and orange rind
50g blanched almonds
50g pine nuts
50g shelled hazelnuts, toasted
3-4 tbsp plain flour, sifted
50ml Vin Santo
Icing sugar to dust
Greaseproof paper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 150 C. You should also line a shallow cake tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Now mince the figs or dates and put them in a pan with water high enough just to cover the paste. Add the honey, brown sugar and all of the spices. Allow to gently cook for about 10 minutes, then pour the mixture out into a bowl – its consistency should be soft and sticky, but not wet.
3. At this point, add the candied fruit and nuts. Mix this together thoroughly and then add the flour and Vin Santo. Mix into a sticky mass and spoon the mixture into the cake tin before baking it in the oven for between 30 and 40 minutes.
4. Take out of the oven and leave to cool in the tin. Sprinkle generously with icing sugar and cut it carefully into thin wedges.
5. Serve as a dessert with a dessert wine or an espresso or at breakfast. If you're feeling extra-creative, wrap nicely in cloth or coloured tissue paper, tie with a bow and present it to someone as a gift.
Now that you have tried it for yourself, see how it's really done in Siena and sample the different versions available in the city.