VEGETARIAN RECIPES - NEWS FROM THE YOGA SANCTUARY

Recipes from The Yoga Sanctuary ~ February 2008 Recipes

This is an Italian specialty that hails from Sienna. It comes in various combinations of fruit and nuts but always contains almonds and chocolate. It is very rich and is eaten in small slices.

Paneforte

For one 9 inch round 5 layered cake. Make at least 4 weeks in advance of eating.


Ingredients:

3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup blanced almonds, lightly toasted
1 cup pistachios, lightly toasted
1/2 cup hazelnuts, lightly toasted, skins rubbed off
6 dried figs, stems removed, cut into chunks
1/4 cup dried apricots, cut into quarters
1/2 cup dried cranberries, diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
pinch of salt
Pinch of white pepper
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar

Preparation

1. *Filling:* Cut each prune in half to check for pits. /Don't be tempted to leave this step out./ Put prunes into a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil then simmer 10-15 minutes (until tender) Watch for burning!

2. Drain and reserve liquid.

3. Put prunes into food chopper and purée.

4. Return prunes to pot. Add sugar, cooking liquid and cinnamon. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly until thick. Again, watch for burning! (Trust me, I know.... ) When the prunes resemble molten lava and allow you to see the bottom of the pot for a longer bit of time after a stir, they're probably ready.

5. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Cool.

6. *Layers:* Using the outside of one of the cake tins, trace 9 inch circle onto wax paper. Cut out 5 circles. Set aside.

7. Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs one at a time.

8. Into a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and cardamom. (If you have purchased whole cardamom pods, remove the outer husk and grind the seeds in a coffee grinder. Green cardamom pods are preferable to white or brown.)

9. Add a small amount of dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Mix in cream and almond extract. Mix in rest of flour. (Let your hands be your friends.)

10. Divide the dough into 5 equal parts. Put a wax paper round into each of the two 9 inch cake tins. Press one ball each onto wax papered 9 inch cake tins. Make sure they are even and flat. Bake 2 at a time at 375F (don't try to do more than 2! The cooking time goes way off and leads to disaster) until each is very delicate gold on the edge. (10-12 minutes)

11. Let each layer cool separately. Put cooled layers together with prune filling (did you remember to put in the vanilla?) evenly distributed in four parts. There is no prune filling on top layer.12. *Assembly:* Put cooled layers together with prune filling (did you remember to put in the vanilla?) evenly distributed in four parts. There is no prune filling on top layer.

13. Wrap tightly in plastic then again in foil and in another plastic bag or cake tin. Store in a cooler part of the kitchen (not the fridge) for about three to eight weeks before serving. (The cake can be frozen but it will not cure in the freezer.) When the cake is served, cut it in small squares like Christmas cake. The cream coloured layers contrasting with the prune filling are quite stunning on the serving plate.

Please note that we never ice this cake (it would seem to us like gilding the lily) - not even for weddings.