DELICIOUS TREATS with Devonport Chocolates

Yippee, it’s Christmas!

I love Christmas! I spend the whole of December counting down the days till we get a real Christmas tree and spend months planning what decorations I will use. Even better it gives me a reason to bake. Baking treats as gifts for my friends is one of the joys of Christmas (the one year I didn’t bake was met with disappointed looks!). To the right is a recipe out of Stephanie’s book “For the Love of Chocolate” (published by Bateman and available in our stores and all good books stores, RRP $24.99).

Panforte

A traditional Italian Christmas treat with a good shelf life, which means you can make it well in advance.

Ingredients: Makes one 20-cm cake.
• 90 g Devonport Chocolates 70% dark chocolate calletts. • 125 g toasted and coarsely chopped hazelnuts. • 120 g toasted and coarsely chopped blanched almonds. • 170 g chopped citrus peel. • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. • ¼ teaspoon allspice. • 70 g flour. • 1 tablespoon Devonport Chocolates cocoa powder. • 130 g white sugar. • 160 ml honey (2/3 cup).
• icing sugar.

METHOD: Preheat the oven to 150°C. Butter and line a 20cm tin with baking paper or edible rice paper. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on medium in short bursts or in a bain-marie (don’t let the water touch the base of the bowl above). Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the nuts, citrus peel, spices, flour and cocoa. In a saucepan stir together sugar and honey. Bring to the boil over medium heat, stir until the sugar has dissolved. Clamp a candy thermometer or probe onto the saucepan and boil the mixture over a medium heat without stirring until it reaches 116°C (soft ball stage). Working quickly, remove from the heat and stir the honey/sugar mixture into the melted chocolate and nut and fruit mixture. The mixture will stiffen, so once combined transfer it to the prepared pan and smooth evenly with wet hands or a spatula.
Bake at 150°C for about 30–35 minutes until the mixture has fine blisters. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack. While the Panforte is still warm, heavily coat the top of the cake with sifted icing sugar. Rub the sugar gently into the cake.
Note: if you have lined the pan with rice paper and it is torn repair by attaching more rice paper with a little egg white.
When completely cold, wrap tightly in cling wrap and store in a cool, dark dry place. Well wrapped, this cake will keep for several months. Serve in small slices as it is very rich.
Variations: Different dried fruits, such as cherries, apricots, blueberries, cranberries and pineapple can be used. Substitute macadamias for either the almonds or hazelnuts.
Roasting nuts: Toast hazelnuts and almonds at 180°C for between 10–15 minutes. Watch them carefully as they can burn quickly. Hazelnut skins can be removed by rubbing them briskly in a tea towel.

By Caroline Everitt of Devonport Chocolates