| « DIY: Chicago Gingerbread Stars | One Saucy Stew: Khoresht-e Fesenjan » |
Ingredient Mon Dec 21 2009
I'd Like a Tall Bread for Christmas, Please
The Christmas holiday means one thing and one thing only for me: panettone. Sometimes known as the Italian version of fruitcake, panettone is a tall, leavened, and sweet egg bread dotted with candied fruit. The origins of panettone vary--some say it was borne of a pagan (gasp!) ritual, and in another story, was created as a way of sprucing up everyday peasant food for Christmas. If it was a poor farm boy or pagan god who made this, they had their work cut out for them: panettone is a cranky project to make yourself (kneading + yeast = throw some money at the problem, get a store-bought version and be done with it), but is widely available for around $10 for a large mound of it (Trader Joe's and Dominick's are among the stores stocking it). Panettone is sometimes available in chocolate chip or cranberry versions, but the original version is hard to resist. Slice it, butter it, and heat it: panettone is a delicious yet subtle-tasting bread that is a perfect accompaniment for the eating you'll do throughout the holidays.
