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Frustingo
Frustingo: the Marche's dark Christmas cake of figs, nuts and cocoa
In the Marche, from Ancona down to Ascoli Piceno, frustingo is the dark, dense Christmas cake every family makes its own way, born as a thrifty sweet of dried figs, nuts and stale bread. Chopped figs are soaked and simmered, then mixed with walnuts, almonds, raisins, candied peel, cocoa and coffee, and bound with sapa, the thick cooked grape must of the region. Many recipes also add mistrà, a local aniseed liqueur; this one uses ground anise seed for an alcohol-free cake. It bakes into a fudgy, almost black slab, rich with spice and not too sweet. Chef's tip: let it mature for two days in foil before cutting; it slices cleanly and the flavours come together.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Chop 10 ½ oz dried figs into small pieces and put them in a pan with ¾ cup strong coffee and ½ cup sapa or grape molasses. Simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring, until the figs are soft and most of the liquid is absorbed.
10 minStep 2: Off the heat, stir in 2 ⅞ oz raisins and leave to cool for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan). Oil a 20 × 30 cm baking tin and line it with baking paper.
Step 4: Add 3 ½ oz walnuts, 2 ⅛ oz almonds, 2 ⅛ oz candied orange peel and 1 tsp orange zest to the figs.
Step 5: In another bowl mix 2 ⅛ oz dry breadcrumbs, 2 ⅞ oz plain flour, 1 oz cocoa powder, 1 ¾ oz sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground cloves and ½ tsp ground anise seed, then stir them into the fruit with 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil. It should be a stiff, sticky mixture; add a spoon or two of water if it's crumbly.
Step 6: Press into the tin in an even layer about 2 cm thick and smooth the top with a wet spoon.
Step 7: Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the top is dry and firm and a skewer comes out sticky but not wet. Common mistake: baking until the skewer is clean; frustingo should stay moist and fudgy, and it dries out if overbaked.
50 minStep 8: Cool completely in the tin, then wrap in foil and leave for a day or two before cutting into small squares.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does frustingo take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of walnuts?
- Pecans or chocolate chips, same amount.
- What can I use instead of dry breadcrumbs?
- Crushed crackers or cornflakes, same amount.
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