What is the best store-bought Panettone? Is there a flavored one?
When is it customarily served? Christmas Eve/Day or whenever?
What should I serve with it?
Any recommendations on which brand to buy in a particular store?
Thanks!
This is our first Christmas Season in Zurich.... I see Panettone being sold in every store... so many different colored boxes, etc. I am overwhelmed by the choices.
Why don't you just buy one and try it ? As for when should you eat it, try when you fancy it, no need to be so conditioned !
You usualy eat it as it is , it's a sort of sweetish cake, slightly vanila tasting with dried fruit in it.
Call it an Italian Xmas cake if your want.
Bauli's a good brand, but there are many.
We usually buy after Christmas, as the price drops by 1/2 or more, thd they leep forever!
Tom
There are many good brands available and just soooo many varieties........
Yes, just try one out!!
It is lovely served with a cold glass of Prosecco or more tradtionally, Moscato D' Asti.
More important is that you re-wrap it after cutting otherwise it will dry out very quickly.
Any left-overs will make a lovely English bread pudding or fry the stale slices in egg/milk mix and dust with cinnamon and sugar.......
Indeed, panettone french toast is one of life's true pleasures.
My favorite brand is Le Tre Marie but it seems that the major stores here in Switzerland don't carry them. You might find them at some Italian specialty stores or in the (more upscale) food sections of places like Globus or Jelmoli.
Otherwise I haven't noticed much of a difference between brands. At Migros I found the Maina brand from Italy a little better than their San Antonio store brand.
Generally I prefer a classic panettone over those with chocolate or tiramisu fillings and the likes.
There are so many different kinds....
Yesterday, we bought one studded with chestnuts. It was fab. My least favorite one was filled with sugared almonds and topped with a amaretti sort of crust -too sugary. Some have rum, some have fruit, orange peel, chocolate and so on.
My favourite is studded with grappa-soaked dried fruit......mmmmmm.
Where did you find the chestnut one? That's one of our faves. Used to order them in the UK from a local distributor for Corsini but couldn't find one here.
Otherwise our fave is Bauli's Panettone di Verona - it doesn't have the candied citrus peel which we don't like. Again in the UK we ordered it but found it in Manor here. Manor and Coop (in Basel) also have Tre Marie.
My husband has panettone every Saturday and Sunday for breakfast. They do last for about 6 months so at Christmas he buys at least a dozen. Then you can usually get the little 'muffin' sized ones all year long.
There's a small Italian specialty store in Belp, called Oliva Nera and he has them. THe chestnut one is made by bonifani (I think) - it comes in a white wrapper with gold writing on it. There's also a Ferarra in Bern, and they might have them. But so might any Italian specialty store in Basel.
I just googled bonifani chestnut panettone and came up with these guys in the UK...
but I don't know how or if they ship.
Thanks so much - we'll check out the links above. Knowing the brand is a big help. We'll be back in the UK for christmas so if they ship (more likely issues with snow!!) we might get it there.
Panettone is imported in Switzerland because of the Italian immigrants - and I noticed that you seldom get really fresh ones.
The really best ones are the ones prepared in some "pasticceria" in Milano (the home city of Panettone...): Cova, or Sant'Ambreus, or Marchesi. They are more expensive, and worth every dime, as they are artisanal, no preservatives, and delicious. They would be bought as close to the D day as possible, and served as dessert or with tea on Christmas day.
Store bought ones tend to be very similar in taste; the quality depends more on the type and quantity of candied fruits in it. Cheap ones have mostly raisins and that's it. Good ones have a mix of candied citrus, and little or no raisins.
If one doesn't like candied fruit (many children don't), buy Pandoro - vanilla based brioche, to be dusted with powdered sugar before serving.
When buying: check sell-by date (not the migros one, the original maker's one). Check percent of ingredients. THere are specialty, flavoured ones, but they are considered by and large a perversion of the original cake; chocolate, almonds, marsipan, lemon cream... they are substitute for serving the real cake with a good home made hot chocolate or cream.
Serve plain or with a light, vanilla flavoured "crème anglaise", after warming about 20" in 50 or 80C oven to enhance aromas. Prosecco is a nice touch.
There's a small specialty food store in Enge on Waffenplatzstr. - the girls there import their's from Italy every year - and you can really tell the difference.
As discussed, the Grappa Fine Foods version from Coop is very good and the variety of flavours and sizes from Globus are top notch.
Eat morning, noon, and night - but it's best at breakfast - second the French Toast approach, and don't foget the maple syrup - or served straight up with some rasberry jam. Yum.
In our wine shop, we have Villa de Varda and Scar'Pier, both imported fresh and direct from Italy.
You just wouldn't believe what's available out there.......there's even one called "Mr. Turkey", which is, you've guessed it, in the shape of the traditional Christmas roast.
Good grief!!!
I'm no expert, but in my opinion the ones from the Globus are really really good. I've had the Artigianale, Crema Zabaione, Pere e Fichi, Marron Glace, and I'm waiting to open the Cioccolato 75%. The only one I wasn't crazy about was the Crema Zabaione, but I managed to choke that one down too.
I also had the grappa panettone from Coop fine foods, which seemed a little too sweet for me, and the Migros Selection Panettone ticinese, which was good as well.
The best news is that apparently these have no calories, since I manage to eat 4 kilos of these by myself around Christmas (my husband is not too keen on them), to no great harm...
I found the maron glace bonifanti at Pfaun in Basel! It was in gold foil - I saw it before but the large hanging tag just had normal panettone pics on it - which I now realise is a generic tag. The little sticker on top had the actual variety written on it. We are going to restrain ourselves and bring it to Scotland to have on Christmas morning. We are not back in Basel until Jan 8th - I hope there are still a few about on sale then!!!
Spelling! S'Not leep it's le A p !
I buy cheap ones when & where I can, and enjoy them for breakfast.
Alas, I still have no edit button, do it's
"and they keep forever"
Tom
P.S. Motta is also a good brand.
The concept of a turkey shaped panettone is hilarious. Would one serve that with a creme anglais gravy?
of course, I'd rather eat a turkey shaped panettone than turkey shaped tofu.
I eat mine plain with a little espresso on the side. Has anyone ever made one? It seems to be rather like a brioche, I guess.
Well at easter the Colomba is shaped like a Dove..........