Panforte

I was inspired by LocalFoodLover's beautifully wrapped panforte from Siena the other day to make it myself for the first time for a few years. I based mine on the recipe in Antonio Carluccio's Complete Italian Food with the changes I always make to recipes depending on available ingredients. The first time I ate this delicious Italian festive cake was when our son brought us one from one of Carluccio's shops in London some years ago. It involves a lot of almonds, walnuts, candied citrus peel and honey....so how could you go wrong? I've made one for us to eat while the family are with us and one to take to friends who've invited us for lunch on Christmas Day....and a tiny one for LoJ and me to taste, just to make sure it's all right, of course!

Apart from this morning's cooking session, I feel even more detached than usual from all the festive hype at this time of year because it's the first year when both son and daughter plan to spend the 25th with their partners' families. (LoJ and I were on our own, but at short notice, two years ago when their plans were spoilt by Eurostar's surprise at the arrival of snow in winter.) I've been expecting this to happen each year for fourteen years, since the first year they were both at university, and I'm very happy to have a family get together a few days later when they all arrive for New Year, as for me it is a midwinter family festival which can take place at any time around the solstice. And we've been invited to lunch by our wine-making friends, so we won't be on our own and we'll certainly have a great meal and wine with their family!