Peppered bread is a characteristic Christmas dessert from Central Italy, made with lots of dried fruits, dark chocolate, honey, and a little flour.
Each region has its own recipe and decoration, some leave it natural, some cover it with dark chocolate, and others sprinkle it with powdered sugar.
Peppered bread has very ancient origins and even holds sacred symbolism due to its ingredients:
walnuts represent the sacred trinity of body, spirit, and soul, being composed of shell, husk, and kernel. Almonds symbolize death and resurrection, hazelnuts are linked to magic, honey was used for purification together with fire, and swarms were protected.
Lastly, spices were also used in religious fields during various rites (information taken from the site corsallanello.it).
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4/6 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients for peppered bread:
- 3.5 oz dark chocolate
- 3.5 oz honey
- 3.5 oz all-purpose flour
- 1.75 oz toasted walnuts
- 1.75 oz toasted hazelnuts
- 1.75 oz toasted almonds
- 1.75 oz raisins
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 2.4 tbsp water
Tools for peppered bread:
- 2 Bowls
- 1 Knife
- 1 Non-stick baking tray
Steps for preparing and baking peppered bread:
Place the raisins in a bowl, add some warm water, and let them rest for 10 minutes. After this time, remove the water and dry the raisins with paper towels.
On a chopping board, put the dried fruits and chop them with a serrated knife into pieces that are not too small; the dried fruits should be visible when sliced.
Take the dark chocolate, chop it into pieces, and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Then, melt it, stir well, and let it cool.
If you don’t have a microwave, you can melt the chocolate in a bain-marie.
In a large bowl, place the dried fruits, raisins, honey, and melted dark chocolate. Mix the ingredients with a spoon, then add the all-purpose flour, spices, and water.
Work the mixture well until it is homogeneous and compact.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper, place the mixture on it, and shape it into a small loaf. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 25 minutes.
Once baked, let it cool and serve it cut into small slices.
Notes
You can also add candied fruits to the preparation.
