The beautiful town of Siena (Italy) is also known for its culinary specialty Panforte - a kind of dry fruitcake, with very little dough and plenty of fruit. For centuries, the Sienese guarded their secret recipe jealously, but after much trial and error I think I hit on a passable imitation:

(You can, of course, use half quantities, but stay with a whole egg).

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly, add enough water to make a semi-soft dough, and let stand for at least 4 hrs. By then the dried fruit will have soaked up some of the water and made the dough rather stiff.

Line big shallow baking form with oiled paper, pour dough and pat it flat and even with a spatula. Cover with oiled paper, and bake on medium heat for ca. 45 mins. This seems a long time, but the aim is to get the finished product as dry as possible without charring. This way it keeps indefinitely and tastes nearly as good as the original panforte which is quite hard to find.

Consumer Warning: You' better have strong teeth, and/or or extensive dental insurance.

From the 'REcipeinternet: Recipes from Around the World' recipe list.