Panettone Italian Christmas bread パネトネクリスマスブッレド

When my wife baked Stollen bread for Christmas, which is Germanic, she also wanted to make Italian Christmas bread, Panettone, to cover all fronts but got delayed since she did not have appropriate baking vessels. I quickly went on line and ordered Panettone paper molds in two sizes. This delayed her baking Panettone but she managed to bake it on Christmas eve.

Since she did not have enough time before Christmas, instead of a yeast recipe which requires making sponge the day ahead, she chose a "quick bread" Panettone recipe.

It has very good flavors both savory and sweet the bread was excellent.

She made the larger one for us to enjoy and smaller ones to give as holiday gifts for friends. 

Ingredients (see above):

6 cups AP flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 cups milk

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 sticks butter melted and cooled (one cup)

the grated lemon peel from 2 lemons

2 tsp crushed anise seed

1/2 cup slivered almonds toasted

1/2 cup raisins

2 tsp anise extract

2 tsp lemon extract

Directions: 

In a small bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a mixing bowl beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy and light yellow. Beat in the butter until it forms an almost mayonnaise consistency. Then add the lemon peel, crushed anise seeds, slivered almonds, raisins and extracts. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture alternating with the milk. Fill the molds about 2/3 full. Bake in a 325 degree oven. The small ones took about 45 minutes. The larger was about an hour or until it tests for done. (Sorry the times aren't more exact. I wrote them down on a sticky note and then promptly lost it.)

This is a very festive bread. The texture is very rich and all the flavors come through. Happy Holidays!!