Spicy Chocolate Panforte

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 50 g butter
• 100 g miniature tootsie rolls
• 70 g bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 300 g mincemeat (i used " all in" meatless mincemeat)
• 1 cup flour
• 2/3 cup ground almonds
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 grated orange, zest of
• 300 g mixed nuts (and or or seeds, i used almonds, walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds)
• 50 g chopped dried figs
• 50 g chopped dried apricots
• 1 pinch salt
• icing sugar, to dust

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 320°f and line a 9" square pan with parchment.
• 2 stir sugar, honey, butter, tootsie rolls, chocolate and mincemeat in a pan over low heat for 3-5 minutes until sugar dissolves.
• 3 sift flour, ground almonds, cocoa and spices into a large bowl.
• 4 add zest, nuts, figs, apricots, salt and mince mixture.
• 5 stir to combine well – it will be quite stiff.
• 6 press into the prepared pan (i like placing a piece of parchment or cling wrap on the surface and using a second pan to press it evenly).
• 7 bake for 30-35 minutes, until firm and dull-looking on top.
• 8 cool in pan, then invert onto a board and dust with icing sugar.
• 9 cut into 36 pieces.
• 10 wrap well in plastic and age at room temperature for 1 day, then transfer to an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.