Panettone, the traditional Christmas cake made in Milano, is now popular throughout the Peninsula, and though they can be quite good out of the box they can be amazing if stuffed at home. To serve 8:
Prep Time: 90 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 small panettoni (weighing about 2 pounds, 1 kilo in all -- if you cannot find small ones use a 1-k panettone)
- 8 fresh figs
- For the filling:
- 1/4 pound (100 g) mixed candied citrus peels
- 2 tablespoons chopped toasted hazelnuts
- 1 pint (500 ml) 1 pound heavy cream, chilled
- Powdered sugar (without starch added)
- For the Sauce:
- 1 3/4 cups (400 ml) red wine
- 6 tablespoons cassis
- 4 tablespoons honey
- A pinch of powdered cinnamon or a half a stick of stick cinnamon
- Fresh mint leaves as garnish
Preparation:
To begin with some background: As of this writing we're coming down to the wire with the Christmas rush, and busily planning menus and such. One of the most classic desserts is panettone, a light, somewhat stiff, airy Milanese holiday bread with raisins and candied fruit in the dough, which rather resembles a squat chef's hat in shape; it's difficult for a home baker to make, at least the first time. It is, on the other hand, relatively easy to make at industrial scale, and all the markets are flooded with them at this time of year, in the traditional variety (no frosting, candied fruit and raisins in the dough) and a number of variations, including traditional dough with frosting and slivered almonds on top; frosting and slivered almonds on top but no candied fruit or raisins in the dough; with frosting on top and almonds in the dough; with chocolate frosting and custard filling arranged in a spoke pattern (no fruit or almonds), with chocolate frosting and orange custard filling. To be honest, something slathered with chocolate and filled with orange custard is overkill at the end of a holiday meal.
However, it does reflect an industrialist's attempt to match what's relatively common practice: filling a Panettone. I went to a discussion of ice creams last year that ended with the owner of Vivoli, Florence's best-known gelateria (they have a card someone sent them from the Grand Canyon, addressed simply to Vivoli -- Europe on display in their shop) filling a panettone: He cut off the top, hollowed the thing out, filled it with soft, freshly made vanilla chocolate chip ice cream, put the top back on it, and chilled it. Quite tasty. One can be more elaborate, however, and here's a recipe for Panettone al Cassis.
Set a bowl to chill in the refrigerator, and while it's doing so mince the candied fruit. Whip the cream and two tablespoons of powdered sugar in the chilled bowl, then fold in the minced candied fruit. Set the bowl in the refrigerator to chill.
In the meantime, remove the paper wrappers from the panettoni and cut the bases off a half-inch up. Carefully scoop out the insides of the panettoni without puncturing them, and then fill them with the cream mixture. Replace the bases carefully and chill the filled panettoni for a half hour or more.
While the panettoni are chilling, mix the wine, honey, and cassis in a small pot, add the cinnamon, and heat the mixture through for a few minutes, stirring gently. Then turn off the heat, cover the pot, and keep it warm.
Wash the figs, peel them if you want, and cut them into eighths. If you cannot find fresh figs use dried ones, soaking them first in a warm mixture of red wine and honey to rehydrate them somewhat, and then slice them.
Toast the hazelnuts briefly in the oven, then chop them. You are now ready to assemble your dessert: Remove the panettoni from the refrigerator and slice them. Pour the hot sauce over the bottoms of eight plates, arrange the slices of panettone and fig, sprinkle all with hazelnuts, garnish, and serve.
The scooped out panettone will be nice with coffee the next day, or even the day after: Panettone keeps very well, and traditionally the Milanese celebrate San Biagio, in Mid-February, with a slice of their Christmas panettone Never made it and want to? Here's a recipe.
Yield: 8 servings stuffed panettone.
However, it does reflect an industrialist's attempt to match what's relatively common practice: filling a Panettone. I went to a discussion of ice creams last year that ended with the owner of Vivoli, Florence's best-known gelateria (they have a card someone sent them from the Grand Canyon, addressed simply to Vivoli -- Europe on display in their shop) filling a panettone: He cut off the top, hollowed the thing out, filled it with soft, freshly made vanilla chocolate chip ice cream, put the top back on it, and chilled it. Quite tasty. One can be more elaborate, however, and here's a recipe for Panettone al Cassis.
Set a bowl to chill in the refrigerator, and while it's doing so mince the candied fruit. Whip the cream and two tablespoons of powdered sugar in the chilled bowl, then fold in the minced candied fruit. Set the bowl in the refrigerator to chill.
In the meantime, remove the paper wrappers from the panettoni and cut the bases off a half-inch up. Carefully scoop out the insides of the panettoni without puncturing them, and then fill them with the cream mixture. Replace the bases carefully and chill the filled panettoni for a half hour or more.
While the panettoni are chilling, mix the wine, honey, and cassis in a small pot, add the cinnamon, and heat the mixture through for a few minutes, stirring gently. Then turn off the heat, cover the pot, and keep it warm.
Wash the figs, peel them if you want, and cut them into eighths. If you cannot find fresh figs use dried ones, soaking them first in a warm mixture of red wine and honey to rehydrate them somewhat, and then slice them.
Toast the hazelnuts briefly in the oven, then chop them. You are now ready to assemble your dessert: Remove the panettoni from the refrigerator and slice them. Pour the hot sauce over the bottoms of eight plates, arrange the slices of panettone and fig, sprinkle all with hazelnuts, garnish, and serve.
The scooped out panettone will be nice with coffee the next day, or even the day after: Panettone keeps very well, and traditionally the Milanese celebrate San Biagio, in Mid-February, with a slice of their Christmas panettone Never made it and want to? Here's a recipe.
Yield: 8 servings stuffed panettone.
