Panforte di Siena – Delicious And Easy Christmas Dessert

Nothing beats dessert at Christmas, my dad can vouch for that and while he loves anything chocolate or cream-filled, he can never say no to this delicious panforte di Siena recipe. Imagine everything you can think of Christmas flavour in a cake.

Italian panforte is spiced, warm, filled with nuts and candied fruit, sweet enough to make you keep asking for just another slice and covered in powdered sugar. Nothing really beats this besides an espresso or some homemade liqueur.

So without further ado, let’s check out how to make this easy panforte di Siena and get ready to celebrate the holiday with a slice of italy on your table!

What is panforte di Siena?

Panforte di Siena is one of the oldest desserts known in Italy. Dating back to Medieval Times, this dense, spiced fruit and nut dessert was born in Siena. Its distinctive texture is chewy and made with honey, nuts, candied fruit and spices, making it a typical Christmas dessert.

The name comes from a dessert made in the X century called panmelato, a sweet focaccia made with water, flour, honey and dried fruit. During the XIII century, Siena became a powerful financial and commercial hub, and had access to imported spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and coriander.

But these ingredients were still expensive and reserved only to convents and spezierie (older pharmacies). Panforte was often prepared in convents and monasteries and offered as a gift during Christmas or used as a tribute to the clergy and nobles. (musei senesi)

While the first versions were known as panpepato, with a much stronger flavour profile with cocoa powder and black pepper, the modern version was introduced in 1879, when Umberto I and his consort, Margherita di Savoia, visited Siena and a new version, covered in powdered sugar and more delicate in flavour, was offered to them.

Today, this Siena cake is protected as a PDO product (IGP) and remains a symbol of Tuscan heritage, traditionally enjoyed during the holidays, sliced thin, and paired with coffee or dessert wine.

What are the panforte di Siena ingredients?

To make this Italian Christmas cake you will need:

• Whole almonds – they provide structure, crunch, and richness; they’re the backbone of panforte’s dense, chewy texture.
• Candied citron – they add brightness and a slightly bitter citrus note to help balance the sweetness.
• Candied orange peel – they bring warmth and enhance the spice blend, giving depth to every bite.
• Sugar – It brings sweetness to the dough and helps create panforte’s firm, almost candy-like consistency once baked.
• Honey – it acts as a natural binder, giving the cake its characteristic chewiness and glossy finish.
• All-purpose flour – it helps hold everything together.
• Ground nutmeg – it adds warmth and a subtle, round spice note in the background.
• Ground cloves – they intensify the aroma and give panforte its unmistakable festive character.
• Ground coriander – it creates a slightly citrusy, aromatic freshness that lifts the richness of nuts and honey.
• Ground cinnamon – tying together sweetness, citrus, and warmth.
• Powdered sugar – its used both in the dough and on top to balance flavors and create panforte’s signature snowy finish.
• Wafer paper (ostia) – Lines the base of the pan, preventing sticking and honouring the dessert’s medieval origins.

How do I make panforte di Siena?

This panforte recipe is straightforward to make. Start by gently heating the sugar and honey together in a small pan until fully melted. Then transfer to a large mixing bowl and add the candied citron, candied orange peel, and whole almonds. Combine all the ingredients. Add the flour – the dough will be thick and stubborn, but that’s completely normal for panforte di Siena.

Add all the spices to the dough and mix again, using your hands if it’s easier, until everything comes together. Butter a 20 cm springform pan, lay the wafer sheet on the bottom (if you don’t have it, you can use parchment paper and a good dusting of powdered sugar on top before putting the dough on top), and line the sides with a strip of baking paper. Press the dough into the pan, using the back of a spoon dipped in water to smooth the top.

Dust generously with powdered sugar and bake in a preheated static oven at 220°C for about 10 minutes. It shouldn’t brown, just set. Let it cool for a few minutes, remove from the pan, peel off the paper, and finish with a final snowy dusting of powdered sugar before serving your panforte di Siena.

How long does the panforte Siena last?

This pan forte recipe will last up to nine days at room temperature in an airtight container or you could also use a metal tin with parchment paper under.

Do you have more Christmas recipes to suggest?

We do indeed have plenty of italian Christmas recipes that you can enjoy besides the panforte di Siena. Some of our favourites are:

• the recipe for this pandoro farcito is ready to be enjoyed;
• these words you need to learn full of Italian Christmas vocabulary is one you can’t miss out on;
• roccocò Christmas cookies, delicious almond cookies perfect a vegan treat;
• a delicious recipe for some vegan struffoli;
• from Abruzzo we have scrippelle and parrozzo;
• both this pistachio liqueur and pistachio cream make the perfect presents to hand to family and friends!
• pistachio panettone, on our sister blog, we have one of the most delicious takes on panettone;
• panpepato cake, an Emilian spiced dessert you can’t miss for the holidays;
• Sicilian toto cookies, spiced cookies made for All Saints’ Day but now beloved for the holidays too;
• this delicious limoncello pandoro, because homemade gifts are the best;
• these delicious spiced Sicilian cookies called buccellati;
• the recipe for pesce finto, to serve on Christmas eve.

Panforte di Siena

Panforte di Siena is a delicious ancient Christmas sweet: dense, spicy, studded with nuts and candied fruit. A bite of Tuscan tradition wrapped in powdered sugar.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Tuscany

Servings 8 portions

Ingredients

  

• 260 g whole almonds
• 160 g candied citron diced
• 160 g candied orange peel diced
• 300 g sugar
• 150 g honey
• 160 g all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 pinch ground coriander
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon a generous pinch
• 10 g powdered sugar
• 1 sheet of wafer paper
• To finish: more powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

 

• Start by gently heating the sugar and honey together in a small pan until fully melted.
• Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add the candied citron, candied orange peel, and whole almonds.
• Stir well, then mix in the flour: the dough will be thick and stubborn, but that’s the charm of panforte.
• Add all the spices and mix again, using your hands if it’s easier, until everything comes together.
• Butter a 20 cm springform pan, lay the wafer sheet on the bottom, and line the sides with a strip of baking paper.
• Press the dough into the pan, using the back of a spoon dipped in water to smooth the top.
• Dust generously with powdered sugar and bake in a preheated static oven at 220°C for about 10 minutes.
• It shouldn’t brown, just set.
• Let it cool for a few minutes, remove from the pan, peel off the paper, and finish with a final snowy dusting of powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

Store in an airtight container for up to 9 days. 

Keyword panforte

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