Slow Food Boulder
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Panforte
(Fruitcake of Siena)
    Nancy Clarke from The Italian Baker by Carol Field

Ingredients:
1 Cup Citron, Finely Chopped
1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest
1/2 Cup Unbleached All Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon, Ground
1/4 Teaspoon Coriander
1/4 Teaspoon Cloves, Ground
1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Nutmeg, Ground
Pinch White Pepper
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
3/4 Cube Honey
2 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
 Confectioners Sugar
1 Cup Whole Hazelnuts, Coarsely Chopped
1 Cup Blanched Almonds
1 Cup Candied Orange Peel, Coarsely Chopped

Method:
Heat the oven to 350. 

1. Toast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet until the skins pop and blister, 10 to 15 minutes.  Rub the skins from the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel. Toast the almonds on a baking sheet until very pale golden, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Chop the almonds and hazelnuts very coarsely. Mix the nuts, orange peel, citron, lemon zest, flour, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, nutmeg and pepper together thoroughly in a large mixing bowl.
2. Butter a 9 inch springform pan; line the bottom and sides with parchment paper and then butter the paper.  Heat the granulated sugar, honey, and butter in a large heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until the syrup registers 242 to 248 on a candy thermometer (a little of the mixture will form a ball when dropped into cold water). Immediately pour the syrup into the nut mixture and stir quickly until thoroughly blended.  Pour immediately into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.  The batter will become stiff and sticky very quickly so you must work fast.
3. Heat the oven to 300.  Bake about 30 to 40 minutes.  The panforte won't color or seem very firm even when ready, but it will harden as it cools. Cool on a rack until the cake is firm to the touch. Remove the side of the pan and invert the cake onto a sheet of waxed paper. Peel off the parchment paper. Dust heavily with confectioners' sugar.
Variation: To make Panforte Scuro (dark), add 2 ounces coarsely chopped
dried figs and 1 to 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder.