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1
Combine the chopped figs, dates, plums, and raisins in a bowl, pour the grappa over them, turn to coat, and leave to macerate for a minimum of 12 hours, covered, at room temperature, so the spirit penetrates the flesh of each piece fully and the fruit swells with it rather than simply wearing a wet coat on the outside. The fruit should be visibly swollen and the grappa largely absorbed.
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2
Sift the flour into a wide bowl with the cinnamon, cloves, and anise, then work in the softened butter with the fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs — this distributes the fat evenly so the finished loaf will hold its shape without turning either dense or sandy. Add the beaten eggs and enough warm water to form a firm, workable dough that holds its shape without sticking; do not overwork it, as the dough needs only to cohere.
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3
Add the macerated fruit with all residual grappa, the chopped walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, and candied peel to the dough, then work the mixture together until evenly combined. This is where the dish lives or dies: the fruit-and-nut mass must constitute no less than 60 per cent of the whole, because the dough functions only as a binder, and the mixture should look barely held together, with fruit pressing visibly through.
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4
Butter two loaf tins, divide the mixture between them, and press it in firmly and methodically to eliminate any air pockets, so the loaf does not fracture or crumble when sliced after its rest. The surface should be compact and dense to the touch with no give; press walnut halves, whole almonds, and pine nuts into the surface in a regular pattern as decoration.
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5
Bake in an oven preheated to 170 °C (conventional) for approximately 50–60 minutes, so the loaves cook through slowly enough for the fruit to remain moist rather than tighten and scorch against the edges. The loaves are ready when the surface is deep golden-brown and a skewer inserted at the centre meets resistance from fruit and nut rather than wet dough — no raw dough should cling to it.
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6
Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack, then wrap each loaf tightly in parchment and then foil. Store in a cool cellar or the base of a refrigerator for a minimum of one week before cutting, so the grappa and dried fruit meld together and the interior, when sliced, is dense, cohesive, and fragrant rather than crumbling.