Siena in Italy is the place to thank for this wonderfully indulgent Christmas cake. This version is gluten free and will keep well for a long while, that is if it's not in front of me!

• Panforte
•  
• 50 grams of butter
• ¼ cup of honey
• ½ cup of soft brown sugar
• 1 cup of whole raw almonds
• 1 cup of walnut halves
• 1 cup of candied Glacé citrus, chopped
• ½ cup of dried currants
• 100 grams of extra dark (72% cacoa) chocolate, chopped
• ½ cup of ground hazelnuts
• 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper
• Icing /confectioners sugar for dusting

1. Preheat your oven to 150°C (302°F)
2. Line a 24 cm round spring-form cake tin with baking parchment.
3. In a large saucepan melt the butter, honey and soft brown sugar.
4. Bring the mixture to a slow boil and simmer gently for 6 minutes.
5. Remove from the heat and add the combined almonds, walnuts, candied citrus and currants and chopped chocolate.
6. Allow the residual heat to melt the chocolate and stir through again, before adding the ground hazelnuts, sifted cocoa, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and black pepper.
7. Combine well, pour the batter into the previously lined cake tin and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
8. Allow to cool in the tin before removing and generously dusting with icing sugar.
9. Slice thinly to serve.