You will need:

Ingredients:

• 130 g (41/2 oz) blanched whole almonds
• 65 g (21/4 oz/ 2/3 cup) pecans
• 190 g (63/4 oz) honey
• 150 g (51/2 oz/1 cup) coarsely chopped good-quality dark chocolate (54% cocoa solids)
• 70 g (21/2 oz) unsalted butter
• 65 g (21/4 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
• 65 g (21/4 oz) dried figs
• 25 g (1 oz) glacé apricots
• 20 g (3/4 oz) glacé cherries
• 175 g (6 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 25 g (1 oz) Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• icing (confectioners’) sugar, for dusting.

1

Kirsten Tibball's Siena panforte Preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the almonds and pecans on the tray and roast for 12–15 minutes, until the almonds are golden brown. Leave the nuts at room temperature to cool.

2

Increase the oven temperature to 170°C (325°F). Melt the honey, chocolate, butter and sugar together in a plastic bowl in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat until completely melted. Cool slightly. Fold through the fruits, roasted nuts and dry ingredients, except the icing sugar, using a spatula until just combined.

3

Grease or line a shallow 20cm (8 in) cake ring or tin placed on a baking tray lined with a nonstick mat or baking paper. Wet your hands slightly then pick up the panforte mixture in small handfuls and press it evenly into the prepared cake ring. Wet your hands each time you pick up the mixture to ensure it doesn’t stick. Bake for approximately 8 minutes or until it feels quite light and spongy to the touch.

4

Remove from the oven and leave to cool at room temperature in the ring or tin. Once cool, remove from the ring or tin, dust lightly with icing sugar and wrap in cellophane for a gift or cover in plastic wrap and put in an airtight container until ready to use. Siena panforte has a long shelf life and can be kept at room temperature, wellsealed, for up to three months.