[Sca-cooks] Panforte

[Terry Decker]

An entry for "honey and pepper cakes" shows up in a 13th Century monastery 
account book from the region near Sienna and it is this that is presumed to 
be the first reference to panforte.  I have done a modern panforte which is 
very similar to period gingerbread and lebkuchen and posted the recipe. 
It's probably out in the Florilegium.  I can make a case for panforte being 
of Medieval (and possibly eaqrlier origin, but recipes are limited to very 
late of just out of period.  Commercial baking of panforte appears in the 
18th Century according to my notes.

Bear


> What I have read on this is that is goes back to the 1200s but I have not
> found any period recipe for this. It is alleged to be similar to 
> Lebkuchten.
> Also, looking for cavallucci which is alleged to be 1500s almond
> biscuit/cookie.
> My group is planning an "Italian" event and I was looking for a few sweets
> for the Inn. Panforte is a specialty for the region we're doing.
>
> De