Fruit and Pepper Bread (Italian Pampepato)

The peppered bread of Ferrara is a traditional Italian Christmas fruitcake studded with whole almonds, hazelnuts, and candied fruit. It is flavoured with cocoa, honey, cinnamon, cloves, and (sometimes) black pepper - hence the name pampepato. A tradition for the people of Siena in central Italy, in the region of Tuscany. Its origins can be traced back to the 15th century. According to legend, the cloistered nuns of the Corpus Domini monastery in Ferrara - inspired by an old recipe of the great Renaissance cook Cristoforo di Messisbugo - created the cake to be sent to the great personages of the time, including high clergy, which is why Ferrara's fruitcake is also known as pan del papa, meaning bread of the pope.

½ cup raisins (75 g)
¼ cup dessert wine (60 mL)
½ cup hazelnuts (75 g)
½ cup whole almonds (75 g)
½ cup mixed nuts; walnuts, pecan, pistachio, pine nuts (75 g)
½ cup dark chocolate chips (75 g)
½ cup candied lemon (75 g)
1 tsp. pink peppercorns
½ cup pure honey (150 g)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
1 scant cup flour type "00" (100 g)
1⁄3 cup cocoa powder (40 g)

Place the raisins in a small bowl. Warm up the wine to almost boiling and pour it over the raisins. Leave for at least 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F 355°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Place the hazelnuts, almonds and other nuts on a baking tray. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes, until fragrant, leave the oven on. Turn them out onto a chopping board and chop very roughly leaving some whole.

Place the chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Chop the candied citron roughly. Crush the pink peppercorns in a pestle and mortar.

Warm up the honey with two Tbsp. of the raisin soaking liquid. When hot, pour it over the chocolate and stir to melt.

Add the chopped nuts, citron, peppercorns and all the other spices, flour and cocoa powder to the chocolate. Mix with a wooden spoon until it's homogeneous.

Line the baking tray used for toasting the nuts with a sheet of parchment. With wet hands shape the dough into two small round loaves, place them on the parchment and slightly flatten.

Bake for 20 minutes; the panpetato won't change much in appearance. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into small wedges and serving.

Makes 2 small loaves.