Have you ever tried making pan pepato? Do you know what it is? It is a traditional Christmas dessert, typical of certain regions, including Lazio, Emilia, Tuscany and Umbria.

What is pan pepato and what is its history?

For those who have never tried it, pan pepato (or pampepato) is a delicious dessert packed with energy. It is made with chocolate, honey, dried fruit, raisins, spices and flour. As mentioned, it is popular throughout Italy, typical of several regions in the centre, and the one from the city of Terni has been awarded the IGP mark.

It is a very ancient dessert that originated in the late Renaissance, evolving from a medieval dessert, pan melato, with the gradual introduction of spices and, above all, cocoa.

Which dried fruit and which mix of spices to use for panpepato

In addition to raisins, panpepato must include walnuts, hazelnuts and pine nuts (some people also add pistachios and less traditional pecans). As for the spice mix to use, according to tradition, black pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg are essential, but some recipes also include aniseed and cloves (or cardamom in more “alternative” versions). Some recommend diluting the spices in honey before mixing them into the dough. The preparation of panpepato requires several steps, so we thought we would offer you the recipe from “La cucina delle monache” (The Nuns' Kitchen), a decidedly traditional version, presented in the programme of the same name.