Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (2024)

Panpepato is one of the numerous Italian fruitcakes made in winter. But unlike Panforte di Siena and Pangiallo from RomePanpepato contains real pepper.

There are numerous recipes for Panpepato with slight variations from different corners ofItaly. People from Ferrara in Emilia-Romagna have one version, which is said to date back to 1465 when the Duke of Ferrara served a panpepato with gold pieces inserted in each cake. And there are numerous other versions (without the gold) that can be traced back to specific parts ofUmbria and Lazio. My recipe for Panpepato is mixture ofseveral other recipes, and it is absolutely irresistible.

Ingredients

150 g raisins
100 ml Marsala wine
150 g almonds
150 g hazelnuts
150 g walnuts
150 g candied orange zest
150 g dark chocolate
4-5 cloves
1 tsp dark pepper
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbs cinnamon
300 g honey
300 g flour

Preparation

Soak the raisins in Marsala
Chop walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts and mix the nuts with candied orange zest, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and crushed cloves.
Chop the chocolate finely or melt it in a water bath and mix it with the nuts.
Add soaked raisins to the mixture along with runny honey (Things go easier it the honey has been heated slightly and has become fluid.)
Work flour into the mixture with your hands. There’s enough flour when the dough is no longer sticky.
Shape the dough into two domes.
Bake the panpepato at 170 C / 350 F for 30 minutes. (It doesn’t have to be all dried out inside.)
Panpepato will keep from Christmas to Epiphany, which is at least 2 weeks, in a cake tin. (If you can leave it alone that long)

25 replies

  1. Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (1)

    Turkey's For Life says:

    December 17, 2015 at 8:36 am

    Well, this looks perfectly festive and definitely wouldn’t last into Epiphany in our house! :) We’ve only gone as far as making mince pies this year, here. We made chutney, too, for Christmas but we’ve nearly eaten it all! :D
    Julia

    Reply

    • Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (2)

      Mette Vaabengaard says:

      December 20, 2015 at 11:07 am

      We have difficulty making it last to Christmas, but I wouldn’t mind swapping the last bit for a couple of home-made mince pies. Yum.

      Reply

  2. Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (3)

    Judy @My Well Seasoned Life says:

    December 17, 2015 at 6:21 pm

    Thank you for creating a new Christmas tradition in my house. Lovely.

    Reply

    • Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (4)

      Mette Vaabengaard says:

      December 20, 2015 at 11:13 am

      It is actually. Lovely, I mean. I’m just annoyed, I can’t find time – or guests with enough appetite – to make all the nice Christmas cakes every year. Fortunately, we have a saying in Danmark that claims that Christmas lasts until Easter.

      Reply

    • Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (6)

      Mette says:

      December 13, 2017 at 6:13 pm

      It should ideally be sweet Marsala, but we only even have dry Marsala in the house, so that’s what I use. I think it gives the raisins an interesting note – like dry sherry, port or brandy.

      Reply

  3. Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (7)

    Becky says:

    December 3, 2018 at 1:14 pm

    This panpepato looks scrumptious, I’m hoping to make it as gifts for Christmas, can you let me know if its plain flour or self raising flour you use .

    Reply

    • Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (8)

      Mette says:

      December 4, 2018 at 7:03 pm

      What a lovely gift. I’m using plain flour. It is a very compact cake, which is why it will keep so long, I guess.

      Reply

  4. Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (9)

    Maura says:

    December 20, 2020 at 5:25 pm

    I have made this every year since 2015. It is so easy and one of the best fruitcakes ever! Tastes like a much more complicated recipe than it actually is. We love it!

    Reply

    • Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (10)

      Mette says:

      December 20, 2020 at 6:51 pm

      Thank you so much. I really appreciate the feedback.

      Reply

  5. Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (11)

    sheryl says:

    April 25, 2022 at 2:20 pm

    i was going to make this, but is there really 1 1/4 cup of honey, that seems a lot!

    Reply

    • Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (12)

      Mette says:

      April 27, 2022 at 8:22 am

      It is a lot of honey, but it is the only sweetening you add. If you don’t want to put this amount of honey in your Panpepato, you could try to substitute some of it with sugar. This version with honey is not particularly sweet.

      Reply

  6. Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (13)

    Barb Palmer says:

    December 4, 2022 at 9:15 am

    Could this be made with almond flour instead of plain wheat flour?

    Reply

    • Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (14)

      Mette says:

      December 4, 2022 at 11:02 am

      I don’t see why not. Everything gets better with almond flour.

      Reply

  7. Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (15)

    Ann says:

    December 10, 2022 at 2:21 am

    This recipe sounds fantastic! I was wondering how long should you soak the raisins in the Marsala wine? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (16)

      Mette says:

      December 11, 2022 at 5:34 pm

      Depends on the age and dryness of the raisins, but in most cases half an hour will do.

      Reply

  8. Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (17)

    Linda says:

    September 24, 2023 at 1:54 pm

    Hello
    I’d like to make this, but am unsure what is meant by ‘candied orange zest?’ Is it citron, or candied rind? Do you make your own? Thanks very much

    Reply

    • Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (18)

      Mette says:

      September 24, 2023 at 4:58 pm

      It is candied orange rind and normally I’d buy it, but it is quite easy to make your own. Just boil strips of orange rind in sugar and a little water and leave it to dry on parchment paper.

      Reply

  9. Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (19)

    Tomi says:

    November 2, 2023 at 12:51 am

    I’m not a big fan of raisins.Can I substitute for cranberries?
    How about date paste instead of honey?

    Reply

    • Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (20)

      Mette says:

      November 5, 2023 at 6:18 pm

      AN Italian would say no way, but I’d give it a try. I believe Panpepato tastes great with all kinds of dried fruit and natural sweeteners.

      Reply

    • Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (21)

      Diana says:

      December 7, 2023 at 10:17 pm

      Thank you for this recipe.
      Is that a teaspoon or a Tablespoon, for the nutmeg?
      Thanks

      Reply

      • Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (22)

        Mette says:

        December 10, 2023 at 4:58 pm

        A teaspoon. Sorry, I should have been more clear.

        Reply

  10. Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (23)

    Lesa says:

    December 18, 2023 at 9:04 pm

    I’m not crazy about the idea of putting black pepper in a cake! Why is black pepper an ingredient? What does it do to the flavor?
    Thanks,
    Lesa

    Reply

    • Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (24)

      Mette says:

      December 19, 2023 at 4:38 pm

      It is an old European tradition to bake cookies with a mix of different spices, including pepper, as indicated by the name ‘panpepato‘, German ‘Pfefferkuchen‘ and Danish ‘Peberkager‘. There is also pepper in some gingerbread recipes, and it gives a warm spiciness without dominating the flavour. Some people may prefer using white pepper or substituting pepper with other spices like ginger, aniseed and cardamoms, but I like to follow the old recipes and add pepper as part of the blend.

      Reply

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Panpepato recipe with nuts, spices and pepper - Italian Notes (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between panpepato and panforte? ›

Both are fruit cakes, pan pepato (or panpepato) is flavored with black pepper and chocolate, while pan forte (or panforte) is milder, with the chocolate and pepper omitted. Documentation of these fruitcakes dates back to the 1200s, and shows that this type of bread was paid to Siena monasteries as a tithe.

What is panpepato in english? ›

Panpepato ( lit. 'peppered bread') or pampepato is a round, sweet cake typical of the province of Ferrara, Siena, the south Umbria and north of Lazio. Panpepato is a type of panforte.

What is panforte made of? ›

Panforte, a Christmas "fruitcake" native to Siena, Italy, is a delicious cross between candy and cake. Hazelnuts, almonds, and candied peel, mixed with flour, spices, and a rich honey-butter-sugar syrup, are baked till barely set.

Where did panforte originate? ›

Origins and Historical Significance: Panforte, meaning "strong bread," traces its roots back to the medieval city of Siena in Tuscany, Italy. Initially, it was created as a special dish for religious festivals and celebrations.

What is Panage in English? ›

1. : an ornamental tuft (as of feathers) especially on a helmet. The palace guard had a panache on his helmet. 2. : dash or flamboyance in style and action : verve.

What is sarampion in English? ›

British English: measles /ˈmiːzəlz/ NOUN. Measles is an infectious illness that gives you a high temperature and red spots. American English: measles /ˈmizəlz/

What is Sande in English? ›

From the noun sand (“sand”).

What is a Monopatin in English? ›

skateboard [noun] a short board with small wheels on which a person can stand and ride as a sport.

What is gallina faraona in english? ›

faraona also gallina faraona:

guinea-fowl.

What is chibwabwa in english? ›

Chibwabwa: a thick sauce made from boiled vegetables, mainly Pumpkin leaves, and nshima: a dough made with ground corn, similar to grits.

What is alkatra in english? ›

/alakatarā/ mn. tar uncountable noun. Tar is a thick, black, sticky substance used in making roads.

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