The Pampepato or Pampapato from Ferrara is a traditional Christmas dessert from this city. It has the shape of a dome, with a mixture of cocoa, almonds, and candied fruit flavored with cinnamon and cloves, all covered in dark chocolate. The name might be misleading as it suggests pepper, yet it contains none. There are many recipes for this dessert, but I followed the one sent to me from Ferrara by my friend Antonella Zappaterra. Of course, I divided her quantities by 4 because she prepares enough for the entire year or perhaps for all of Copparo, and I added more cinnamon and cloves… I love spices. And now, let’s start preparing! P.S. Antonella… I’m in your hands.
Updated on 12/11/19
Other Christmas Recipes
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 10 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Emilia-Romagna
- Seasonality: Christmas
- Energy 1,052.31 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 175.58 (g) of which sugars 101.65 (g)
- Proteins 22.26 (g)
- Fat 35.78 (g) of which saturated 10.33 (g)of which unsaturated 22.69 (g)
- Fibers 16.66 (g)
- Sodium 97.73 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 266 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup sweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 14 oz almonds (with skin)
- 12 oz candied fruit (mixed)
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon (level)
- 1 tbsp ground cloves (level)
- 2/3 cup Marsala wine (use as needed)
- 10 1/2 oz 70% dark chocolate
Tools
- Bowl
- Wooden Spoon
- Parchment Paper
- Cooling Rack
- Kitchen Scale
Steps
Preheat the oven to 340 degrees in static mode. In a large bowl, pour in the flour, sweetened and unsweetened cocoa, mixed candied fruit, spices, and almonds crushed with sugar.
Mix all the ingredients using a wooden spoon. Pour in some of the liquor (or your preferred choice) and mix. You will determine the amount of liquor needed as you knead the mixture, helping yourself with your hands. To form the dome, you will find the mixture sticky, so wet your hands with water to shape your dessert. If you prefer, do as I do: also make small pampepati the size of a walnut, keeping an eye on the baking.
Place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 340 degrees for 40 minutes, checking occasionally. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Melt the dark chocolate or as you like, in a bain-marie. Pour it over the dessert and wait for it to solidify. Do the same if you’ve prepared some smaller ones too.
