pan and bowl for double broiler for melting the chocolate
baking sheet
edible rice paper optional, for the bottoms of the panpepato
parchment paper
Ingredients
3cupswalnutshalved; untoasted
3 ½cupshazelnutstoasted
3cupsalmondswhole; toasted
¾cuppine nutsuntoasted
1tbspsweet cocoa powder
1tspcinnamon
1tspnutmeg
1tspcoffee powderinstant coffee or espresso powder
1tbspblack pepperfreshly ground; or to taste
1orangejust the zest
¾cupflourall-purpose
12ozdark chocolateshaved, chips, chunks or cut into small pieces
½cuphoney
1shotcoffee or espressoor a small cup
Instructions
Toast the Hazelnuts and Almonds
It's best to toast the hazelnuts and almonds yourself for freshness. However, feel free to buy the nuts already toasted if you prefer. The walnuts should be added untoasted.
3 cups walnuts, 3 ½ cups hazelnuts, 3 cups almonds
Combine all of the Nuts
Combine in a very large bowl: walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds and pine nuts.
¾ cup pine nuts
Add the Spices
To the nuts, add: cinnamon, nutmeg, sweet cocoa powder (hot chocolate cocoa), a bit of espresso powder, and black pepper to taste. Here she’s grating the zest of one orange to give the mixture a kick of citrus.
Melt the chocolate with honey and a tiny cup of coffee or espresso. It's best to use the double boiler method to do this to avoid burning the chocolate.
12 oz dark chocolate, ½ cup honey, 1 shot coffee or espresso
Add the Chocolate and Flour
Pour the melted chocolate onto the nuts and give them a good mix!
Add the flour and mix it in thoroughly.Flour is one ingredient that varies from recipe to recipe. Use more if you like a chewier panpepato, or follow Grandma’s recipe for a version with chocolate that melts in your mouth!
¾ cup flour
Preheat the Oven
Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃).
Shape the Panpepati
Fill a small bowl of water and wet your hands (to prevent the chocolate from sticking). Take a handful of the mix and shape it into a ball.
Space the balls on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Continue shaping until all of the mix has been used. Bake in batches if needed.
Bake the Panpepati
Bake in a preheated oven at 375℉ (190℃) for 10-15 minutes. After the bake, if any panpepato has started to pull apart, simply use the back of a spoon to gently press it back together. It will keep its shape as it cools.
Cool the Panpepati
Let the panpepati cool for about 4 hours before wrapping them for later or for gift giving.
Add a circle of edible rice paper to the bottom of each panpepato to prevent sticking.
Wrap them in foil (if simply storing them at home).
Or, gift wrap them as holiday presents—just as the Italians in Umbria do for Christmas!
Notes
How to Make a Double Boiler at Home
Two Pots: A double boiler has two pots. One is larger and the other is smaller.
Water in Larger Pot: Fill the larger pot with water.
Heat Source: Place the larger pot on the stove or another heat source.
Smaller Pot on Top: Put the smaller pot on top of the larger one.
Heat Up: Turn on the heat. The water in the larger pot will get hot and create steam.
Steam Heats Smaller Pot: The steam from the hot water heats the bottom of the smaller pot.
Even, Gentle Heat: This gives you a gentle and even heat, perfect for melting chocolate or making sauces.
This setup is great for recipes that need careful heating without burning or sticking.