Christmassy deliciousness

Yes, I've started my Christmas baking already! I don't think I've been this excited about Christmas since I was six and still believed it really was Father Christmas who was eating the mince pies we left next to the fireplace. That's probably because it's our first one as Mr and Mrs. It will also be the first one I've had with my family in five years, and Nicks (that would be Nicky, not Saint Nick) will be jetting over from SA just before Christmas to see the sights of Muscat. So we'll have a full house and I can't wait.

One of my favourite memories of this time of year is the heavy Christmas cake tin my grandparents would lug from Zimbabwe down to Durban every Christmas. We'd eat that cake every day for tea for the month of December, well into January, and getting to the last slice was heartbreaking as it meant it was all over for another year. As you can gather, I'm a fruitcake fan. But not everyone is, and you'll always have someone who picks out all the cherries or the peel. So this year, I've decided to make a fruit cake that, I think, is a little more grown up. The sort of cake you sip with an espresso while catching up - Italy's panforte.

This cake is naturally dairy- and egg-free, easily gluten-free. It's traditionally made with almonds and figs and honey, but you can use whatever nuts and fruit you want, and I thought I may as well make use of what the Middle East has in abundance... dates and date syrup. Date syrup, for those who don't know, is dark, rich and treacle-like, so is perfect if you don't want things too sweet.

Panforte from the East

1½ cups nuts (I used ½ pecan nuts, ¼ pine nuts, ¾ walnuts)

½ cup mixed peel

½ cup chopped dates

¼ cup chopped dried apricot

¼ cup currants

½ cup gluten-free flour (I used half white rice flour and half corn starch)

1½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

2 tblsp pure cocoa powder

¼ tsp salt

¾ cup date syrup (use honey if you don't have this)

170g sugar (if you're allergic to cane sugar used fruit sugar)

Preheat your over to 180C and line an 8-inch cake tin with a round of baking paper, greased and gusted with a little g-free flour. Coarsely chop the nuts and mix them with the dried fruit, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour in a large bowl. In a saucepan, heat the date syrup, sugar, salt and cocoa powder until the sugar and cocoa has dissolved and the sauce starts to get a little foamy on top. You don't want it to boil. Pour it over the fruit and nut mixture and stir it in quickly making sure everything is coated. Then pour it into the cake tin and press it down firmly. Bake for about 25 minutes. You don't want to let the sugars burn.

Wait for it to cool and slice with a sharp serrated knife. If you've never had panforte before, don't expect light fluffiness. The ones I've had before should have "do not eat it you have denture" warnings, but, made with date syrup, it isn't quite so toffee like. This is firm and chewy with a moist fruity, dark chocolatey centre. I might have to make another one.