Panforte is a fantastic energy food for exercise. You can hide it away in your cake tin and cut off a piece at a time when the mood takes you — before or after exercise or just when you fancy something sweet — it is nutritious and wholesome and you only need a tiny piece to give you a boost.

You can also be quite flexible with your choice of nuts, spices and dried fruit. Just use any combination you want, or whatever you have in the store cupboard. The only stressful part is that you have to work very quickly once the sugar syrup is ready or the mixture stiffens and it is difficult to spread into your cake pan.

Method

1. Heat the oven to 320°F. Grease the cake pan and line it with the rice paper.

2. Put the dried fruit, nuts, cherries, ginger, candied peel, lemon zest, flour, cocoa powder and spices into a large bowl and mix together.

3. Melt the chocolate in a separate bowl over a pan of simmering water, or in the microwave.

4. Put the sugar and honey and orange flower water into a saucepan and on a very gentle heat dissolve the sugar. When the sugar has completely dissolved, bring the mixture to the boil and boil steadily for 2 minutes.

5. Take the syrup off the heat. Combine the syrup immediately with the chocolate and then with the fruit and nut mixture. It will go all stiff but don’t worry.

6. Spread it evenly into the tin, push it down with your fingers and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

7. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar when it is cool. Cut with a very sharp knife.