Panforte

Ingredients

1 pound assorted dried fruit (dates, prunes, raisins, apricots)
1/4 pound assorted nuts (macadamia, almonds, pecan, hazel), chopped medium fine
1 egg
4 tbsp oil or margarine
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
pinch of salt

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly, add enough water to make a semi-soft dough, and let stand for at least 4 hrs. By then the dried fruit will have soaked up some of the water and made the dough rather stiff. Line big shallow baking form with oiled paper, pour dough and pat it flat and even with a spatula. Cover with oiled paper, and bake on medium heat for ca. 45 mins. This seems a long time, but the aim is to get the finished product as dry as possible without charring. This way it keeps indefinitely and tastes nearly as good as the original panforte which is quite hard to find.