Pan Forte With Warm Pecorino Recipes

PAN FORTE WITH WARM PECORINO

Steps:

• Place a sheet of parchment paper on a sheet pan then place a piece of rice paper down and 4 (4-inch) flan rings on that.
• In a large bowl, combine the toasted nuts with the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, flour, and cocoa powder. Add the cut up fruit and toss.
• In a small saucepan, combine the honey and sugar and bring it to a boil without stirring, brushing down the walls of the pan occasionally to avoid sugar crystals from forming. Cook to softball stage (240 degrees) then pour over the fruit mixture. Stir quickly to combine. It will be sticky and thick.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Dip your hands into water and grab a handful (about 1/4) of the mixture. Pack it into the rings and bake for 1 hour until slightly puffed up on top and the surface is no longer shiny. Remove from the oven and cool in the ring. Trim the rice paper to the edge of the mold and wrap in plastic to store at room temperature.
• To serve, cut wedges and place them on plates. Heat up a flat top griddle or large frying pan and cook the slices of cheese on one side until lightly browned then flip them over to brown the other side. The center will get gooey. Place next to the pan forte, drizzle with olive oil, and serve with some good crusty Italian bread.

PAN FORTE

Steps:

• Place the ring or mold over the sheet of rice paper on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Spread the nuts on a baking sheet in 2 separate piles, and toast in the oven until lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Shake the pans halfway through to ensure that the nuts toast evenly. Allow to cool a few minutes. Gather the hazelnuts into a kitchen towel and rub them together to remove the skins. Turn the oven down to 300 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine the nuts with the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, flour, and cocoa powder.
• Cut the fruit into 1/2-inch pieces and toss with the nut mixture.
• In a small saucepan, stir together the honey and sugar. Over high heat, bring to a boil without stirring. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush the sides of the pan to remove any un-dissolved sugar granules. Cook until the sugar reaches 224 to 240 degrees (soft ball stage) on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and pour into the fruit mixture. Stir to combine as well as possible. The mixture will be very thick and sticky.
• Dip your hands in water and press the fruit mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 1 hour, until the top is slightly puffed and the surface is matte. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan. Trim the rice paper around the edge of the mold. Store at room temperature, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for several weeks.
• In a small saucepan, stir together the honey and sugar. Over high heat, bring to a boil without stirring. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush the sides of the pan to remove any undissolved sugar granules. Cook until the sugar reaches 224 to 240 degrees (soft ball stage) on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and pour into the fruit mixture. Stir to combine as well as possible. The mixture will be very thick and sticky.

PAN FORTE

Steps:

• Place the ring or mold over the sheet of rice paper on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet in 2 separate piles, and toast in the oven until lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Shake the pans halfway through to ensure that the nuts toast evenly. Allow to cool a few minutes. Gather the hazelnuts into a kitchen towel and rub them together to remove the skins. Turn the oven down to 300 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the nuts with the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, flour, and cocoa powder. Cut the fruit into 1/2-inch pieces and toss with the nut mixture. In a small saucepan, stir together the honey and sugar. Over high heat, bring to a boil without stirring. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush the sides of the pan to remove any un-dissolved sugar granules. Cook until the sugar reaches 224 to 240 degrees (soft ball stage) on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and pour into the fruit mixture. Stir to combine as well as possible. The mixture will be very thick and sticky. Dip your hands in water and press the fruit mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 1 hour, until the top is slightly puffed and the surface is matte. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan. Trim the rice paper around the edge of the mold. Store at room temperature, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for several weeks.
• In a small saucepan, stir together the honey and sugar. Over high heat, bring to a boil without stirring. Using a pastry brush dipped in water, brush the sides of the pan to remove any undissolved sugar granules. Cook until the sugar reaches 224 to 240 degrees (soft ball stage) on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and pour into the fruit mixture. Stir to combine as well as possible. The mixture will be very thick and sticky. Dip your hands in water and press the fruit mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 1 hour, until the top is slightly puffed and the surface is matte. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan. Trim the rice paper around the edge of the mold. Store at room temperature, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for several weeks.

TRADITIONAL SIENA FRUITCAKE (PANFORTE)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Toast hazelnuts on a baking sheet in the oven 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.
• Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
• Mix the nuts, orange peel, citron, lemon zest, flour, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, nutmeg and pepper together thoroughly in a large mixing bowl.
• Butter a nine-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 heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until the syrup registers 242 to 248 degrees on a candy thermometer (a little of the mixture will form a ball when dropped into cold water). Immediately pour the syrup into the 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.
• Bake about 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 sides of the pan and invert the cake onto a sheet of waxed paper. Peel off the parchment paper. Dust heavily with confectioners' sugar.