Panettone

In Italy, each region prides itself on its own signature pastries, especially at Christmas time. They make Panforte in Siena, Pandoro in Verona, Struffoli in Naples and Caggionetti in the Abruzzo. It’s Pannetone, the specialty of Milano, however, that is by far the most widely recognized.

Pannetone is a very soft, moist cake, usually taller than it is wide. Traditionally, it has raisins and candied fruit in the dough, but there are many, many variations. It gets its luxurious texture from a long process that involves slow rising (six hours or more) with a sourdough starter and several periods of working the dough, for at least half an hour each. When they come out of the oven, they are cooled upside-down in special racks to maintain their shape. Because the recipe is so complex, Pannetone is seldom made at home, and connoisseurs can argue for hours about which bakery produces the best.

The variations on Pannetone are nearly endless. Many involve stuffing the cake with a cream filling or pudding. You can also buy a large Pannetone and stuff it at home, which allows you to use fresh berries and other ingredients that are too perishable to be used commercially.

At Gourmet Pantry, we carry an excellent selection of Pannetone in several variations and sizes. We have Gran Pannetone at 1000 grams and individual cakes (Pannetoni) at 100 grams. We have tiramisu and tutti-frutti, and several kinds with chocolate. These cakes keep exceptionally well, so at Christmas time or any time, Pannetone will delight you and your guests.

Popularity Index: 1%

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...