The Panettone, a typical Milanese Christmas cake, is the undisputed king of Christmas celebrations in Italy, especially in the North. Let’s learn about the history and how to enjoy it with mascarpone cream.
1. Origin and History
Legend:
There are many stories about the origin of this cake, but three main legends stand out:
- The first legend tells that panettone was created by accident on Christmas Eve during a banquet prepared for Ludovico il Moro (1495). The court chef accidentally burned the dessert in the oven, but a scullery boy named Toni salvaged the situation. He added butter, raisins, and candied fruit to the remaining dough, thus creating the “Pan di Toni,” which later became known as panettone.
- Another legend attributes the invention of this Christmas cake to Ughetto degli Antellani, who created it to win the heart of Adalgisa, the daughter of a baker named Toni.
- A third legend credits its creation to Sister Ughetta, a nun who added butter, candied fruit, and raisins to bread dough for Christmas. She also marked the top of the cake with a cross as a blessing. Interestingly, the names “Ughetto” and “Ughetta” relate to the word for raisins in local dialects.
History:
Setting aside legends, the earliest written records date back to 1606, when the first Milanese-Italian dictionary mentioned “Panaton,” described as a large bread traditionally made on Christmas Day. Etymologically, “panettone” means “large bread.”
2. Characteristics
- Shape:
The panettone’s modern shape emerged around 1920 when Angelo Motta modified the recipe to make it tastier. He used a cardboard mold, called a “guepiere,” to encase the cake. This gave it a mushroom-like shape and made it softer while preventing it from burning. - Appearance:
Soft to the touch, tender to cut, and golden yellow inside, the panettone has an even, elongated crumb structure. It should not crumble when pulled apart but “pull into strands,” breaking into elongated pieces. - Ingredients:
Traditional panettone is made with eggs, butter, flour, candied fruit, raisins, and vanilla. When reading labels, avoid products containing mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, which extend shelf life at the cost of quality. - Taste:
A good artisanal panettone should release aromas of butter, vanilla, and citrus. Its texture should be soft and melt-in-your-mouth, without clumping or leaving a greasy residue. Raisins and candied fruit should be evenly distributed throughout, and any glaze on top should be crunchy. Today, sales of artisanal panettone are surpassing those of industrial versions. For optimal flavor, panettone should be warmed before eating. About an hour before serving, place it on a radiator to achieve the perfect serving temperature for slicing.
3. How to Eat Panettone According to Etiquette
- If panettone is served plain, it should be eaten with your hands. Hold the slice with your left hand and break off small pieces to eat with your right hand.
- If served with sauces or creams, the slice should be placed on a small plate alongside the cream. Use a dessert fork to steady the slice and a spoon to cut pieces and scoop up the cream.
Additionally, panettone should be served before fruit and never with coffee. I suggest to pair it with Demi-sec sparkling wine. It is the perfect match!
4. Panettone of San Biagio
According to tradition, a portion of the Christmas panettone is set aside to be eaten on February 3rd, the feast day of Saint Blaise. On this day, it is consumed with family, ideally while fasting. This ritual is believed to bring good health and protection from throat ailments, as Saint Blaise is the patron saint of throat health.
You can enjoyed it with a cream of mascarpone cheese flavored with any one of a variety of liqueurs: fruity ones such as limoncello (lemon liqueur), mandarinetto (mandarin liqueur) and Gran Marnier, or perhaps Amaretto or rum. My favorite is Mandarinetto made of juicy Sicilian mandarins, exceptionally flavorful and refreshing. Merry Christmas, my beloved readers – BUON NATALE!
PANETTONE CON MASCARPONE (PANETTONE WITH MASCARPONE)
Preparation Time: 10 minutes Serving: 6-8
INGREDIENTS
Mascarpone cream
225 g (½ pound) fresh mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
55 g (2/3 cup) powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons Mandarinetto or other liqueur ( for example limoncello)
DIRECTIONS
1. Place the mascarpone and the sugar in a medium mixing bowl
2. Use an electric mixer or a spoon to beat for 1 minute until sugar dissolves. Stir in the liqueur. Depending on the type of mascarpone cheese, you might have to add 2-3 tablespoon of cream to make the mascarpone cream smoother. You can serve the mascarpone either on top of the Panettone slice or aside, decorating with some mandarin or orange zest. You can store the cream covered with plastic paper in the fridge foe 1-2 days. –Paola
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