<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Dear List, For Xmas this year I prepared Panforte ('strong' bread from Siena, Italy) with my mother instead of the traditional Hungarian poppyseed bread (I was born there but I live in Australia) and it turned out to be a big success, so I thought I'd share the recipe with you. It's from ABC Television's 'Consuming Passions' programme http://www.abc.net.au/passions/current/cp08panforte.htm and I only changed the flour to gluten-free flour. As it is a minor ingredient the change doesn't effect the result. I think it would work with a bit more of the sugar-flour mixture as there's not enough material between the fruits and nuts and it's a bit hard to cut. Wrapped in laced paper and cellophane (I even made labels with ingredient list) it is a perfect present. No-one noticed it was gluten-free and everyone loved it. You'd better make a lot, it disappears fast! Panforte (Strong Bread) Although this is a traditional Italian Christmas confection from Tuscany, it is perfect for any special occasion. Because there is quite a lot of work involved, I always make two at a time. For a darker, chocolate-flavoured panforte I add cocoa. Ingredients: 200g blanched almonds 200g raw hazelnuts, skin on 50g raw macadamia nuts 200g citrus peel 100g dried figs, chopped 100g dried apricots, chopped 175g plain flour 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp chopped cloves 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg 1/2 tsp white pepper 2 tsp powdered ginger 500g sugar 250g honey 125g unsalted butter 2 Tbsp cocoa (optional) Roast hazelnuts for 15 minutes in oven at 200 deg.C. Toast almonds in dry pan until browned. Roughly chop macadamia nuts. When hazelnuts are slightly cooled, wrap in a tea towel and rub off skins. (It doesn't matter if some skin remains). Roughly chop up hazelnuts and almonds. It doesn't matter if some whole nuts remain. Mix nuts with peel, figs, apricots, flour, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, pepper, ginger and cocoa (if using). Prepare two 28cm springform baking tins. Grease them and line with non-stick baking paper on base and around inner wall. In a saucepan, preferably non-stick, put sugar, butter and honey. Heat while stirring to 118 deg.C (soft-ball stage) using a sugar thermometer. If not using a thermometer keep cooking till mixture is smooth and bubbling fiercely and just starting to change colour. Quickly stir sugar mixture into dry ingredients. Divide mixture in two and put one lot in each tin. Press down with wet spoon, dipping it into water every few seconds to stop sticking. The mixture need not be spread evenly as it will soften and spread during cooking. Bake for 30 minutes at 160 deg.C. Allow to cool and remove from tin. Remove baking paper from base. Sprinkle with icing sugar. Will keep well in an airtight container (as long as your family and friends don't discover it!)