Review: Teninas Panforte

[I Love Bimby!]

Today for the first time I made Tenina's panforte : http://tenina.com/2008/11/my-forte-panforte-cake-from-siena/

Tweaking:
Apart from a few ingredients to suit what I had the only major tweak I would recommend to is to chop the glace frut on speed 4 (until desired consistancy is reached) after the initial spices have been ground and set aside. In Tenina's recipe she has these as roughly chopped and doesnt suggest that these be done in the tmx (perhaps this might just be assumed??). However personally I found roughly cutting the glace fruit by hand is a real pain. I'll try this method next time and let you know.

I couldn't find the pistachios in the pantry so for the nuts used cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans and slivered almonds. And for the fruit I used glace apicots, glace red cherries, glace pears and craisons.

Also once everything as been added, about 15 seconds at speed 3 was enough to mix everything together. After this time the blades started to struggle moving the mixture and the bottom part of the mixture had been processed a lot more than the rest.

Review: I've never had panforte before and me, oh my! I'm addicted!! It's still warm so soft and squishy and deliciousy rich!  I put mine into 8 small decorative cardboard square "cups". My only problem was that I have 8 hampers to make..... so I was going to be left without For quality testing reasons I had to break one open - so will just have to make some more 

Rating: 4.5

[Thermomixer]

Have to learn to make the extra one for quality testing always.  It is a bit addictive.  I was given some panpepato last night - similar;ar with more pepper.

[cookie1]

I've never made panforte, will have to give this a go. I've seen lots of recipes for stale panforte but from the sound of it this won't get the chance to go stale.

[Thermomixer]

More likely stale panettone - diificult for panforte to be used for anything but eating -it goes like really hard. pane= bread + forte = strong in Italian

Panettone is used for bread and butter puddings etc.  andie and chocdoc have made some to see - http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=2357.0

PS - think you would need a TMX to break it up - panforte that is - the panettone tends to stay soft

[cookie1]

OMG Thermomixer ,you are so right. I hang my head in shame. I have made panforte, but not pannetone. These seniors moments are getting a bit too frequent.

[I Love Bimby!]

Mine has gone quiet hard around the edge and still softish (sliceable though) on the inside. REALLY YUMMY!!!

XH came by this morning and I wasted a slice on him (not that's not being mean - he had one tiny taste and chucked the rest out) 

[Thermomixer]

Many people don't like it !! - I remember making it after seeing it on the back cover of a Margaret Fulton cookbook and most people had one small piece and said they thought it was too spicy 

[CarolineW]

Gosh, I can't imagine anyone not liking panforte!  But wish I hung out with them (all the more for me!!  )

I get completely addicted to panforte once I've had one slice.  It would be madness for me to even dream of making it as presents for other people - 'cos it would never reach them!!  I have absolutely no self control at all once my panforte obsession sets in.  On the occasions I've visited Siena I spent a pathetically sad amount of time in shops buying different kinds of panforte to try   

[Thermomixer]

  On the occasions I've visited Siena I spent a pathetically sad amount of time in shops buying different kinds of panforte to try   

A real tourist trap - like mask in Venice. 

[I Love Bimby!]

Many people don't like it !! - I remember making it after seeing it on the back cover of a Margaret Fulton cookbook and most people had one small piece and said they thought it was too spicy 

  Hmm now I'm questioning if it's a good idea to give them away, would hate to think I gave it to someone and they chucked it out   

[Thermomixer]

Certainly not one for XH - OK for foodie people. 

They are a great gift, but yes would be heartbreaking to think all that work and money wasted

[CarolineW]

Many people don't like it !! - I remember making it after seeing it on the back cover of a Margaret Fulton cookbook and most people had one small piece and said they thought it was too spicy 

  Hmm now I'm questioning if it's a good idea to give them away, would hate to think I gave it to someone and they chucked it out   

Feel free to send one to the UK   

[I Love Bimby!]

  How is the UK's quarantine?? 

[CarolineW]

How is the UK's quarantine?? 

Ah - one of the benefits of not living in Oz.  There aren't seriously strict restrictions, backed up and guarded by sniffer dogs   

Mind you, not that I blame Ozzie for being like that - things tend to have such extreme consequences there that I don't think it's possible to be too careful - even if it's sometimes to the point of paranoia.  Would the one feed of milk for a baby to tide her over until she reached the formula at Grandma's house really have caused ecological meltdown in Australia?  But even while feeling that customs was being overly extreme, I still couldn't find it in me to blame them.

[I Love Bimby!]

Yes. When we went to Vietnam a couple of years ago there was no such thing as quarantine   

Made this again last night, BUT when I picked up the "Almond Essence" discovered it was actually Aniseed Essence  Opps!! Though it still tasted lovely.  However thought I'd give the Aniseed a miss in last nights batch and replaced it with dash of lemon essence, as someone on Tenina's blog had replaced the Almond essesnce wth Lime essence. Tastes scrumptious!