Instructions: *Toast nuts in a preheated 350F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until theyre golden brown.

Lightly grease a 9-inch removable bottom pan or spring form pan, or a 9-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment, and grease the parchment.

Chop the hazelnuts and almonds coarsely. The easiest way to do this is to place the nuts in a heavy-duty plastic bag, and thump them with a rolling pin, the flat side of a meat tenderizer, or other heavy object.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the nuts, dates, raisins, lemon oil or rind, flour, and spices. Set aside. In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, honey and butter to a boil over medium heat, and simmer until the syrup registers about 245F (between soft and firm ball stage) on an instant-read thermometer. This will happen quite quickly, so dont leave the syrup simmering while you make a phone call or take out the trash.

Pour the syrup onto the dry ingredients in the bowl and mix thoroughly; you need to work quickly, or the mixture will harden. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.

Bake the panforte in a preheated 300F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to brown. Remove it from the oven, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and allow the panforte to cool to room temperature in the pan.

Turn the panforte out of the pan onto a clean work surface, and peel off the parchment paper. Sprinkle it heavily with confectioners sugar, and cut it into small (about 1-inch square) pieces.

Yield: About 5 dozen pieces

Christmas without fruitcake? Unthinkable... right? Oh, come on! Dont tell us youre one of those fruitcake haters! That gluey texture... the wonderful acrid/bitter taste of candied citrus peel... the heavy aroma of brandy... Whats not to like?

Well, if youre a person who dreads the arrival of the annual brick-like fruitcake in the mail, or cringes at the sight of sliced fruitcake on the dessert table, we urge you to try this delectable Italian version. More a confection than a cake, panforte is a dense, sweet/nutty, chewy native of Siena, where its presence around Christmas time can be traced back nearly a thousand years.

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