Chocolate Chip Panettone - Italian Christmas Bread
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Posted By Savita
Sharing today, moist, festive and ready for gifting - a Chocolate Chip Panettone. This Italian cake is cross between a moist decadent rich cake and light and fluffy yeast bread. Oh, and I baked mini version of Chocolate chip panettones to make'em perfect - Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen. Oh, and also sharing a little secret to bake an extra moist batch, every time! Read on to unfold!
Also, cakes stay good for 10-12 days. You prepare them well in advance. Bonus? Panettone taste even better as it ages! Perfect for gifting! Indeed!
Today is start of official Christmas month! Yesterday, I saw so many people carrying Christmas Trees homes tied to back of their cars. Really, happy to see everyone in full holiday mood!
Christmas has always been a great time of year for my family. My younger brother was born on Christmas Day and when he was young, I used to take him to Church every Christmas. Being a kid, he was always very happy to see decorated church and all hustle bustle as if it is for his birthday. :-) So party foods, sweets and appetizers and a lot more has always been a big part of our Holiday Tradition.
I jumped with joy when I got opportunity to share Rubbermaid TakeAlongs with you all. If you follow my blog, I love sharing mini (gifting-friendly) treats every Christmas season. It all started when few years ago we visited India during this time. I made a few cakes and packed them with my luggage to India. As I said, the best thing about rich cakes like Panettone, or Christmas Cake is that these taste even better when a few days old. I guess that's why these are so so perfect for gifting. In India, my family enjoyed these cakes so much that the very next day after landing in India, I was baking another batch. :).
Last week while our grocery-trip to Walmart, I grabbed a few sets of Rubbermaid TakeAlongs to get-set for my holiday gifting post. Rubbermaid TakeAlongs Deep Squares are perfect to gift mini panettones. I don't spend time in finding traditional Italian baking pans for panettones. The disposable square paper baking pans work just fine. After baking and cooling, I pack panettone in Rubbermaid TakeAlongs Deep Squares. Rubbermaid TakeAlongs have soft and flexible lid that fits perfectly with mini cakes inside. Since these cakes stay good (up-to 10 days) and taste even better as they age, you can bake and keep them ready 3-4 days before Christmas.
During these days, we are often visiting friends during weekends or over Christmas Holidays. Not just baked gifts-from-kitchen, my friends often look forward to my potluck appetizers/treats too.
For Potluck, I love carrying finger appetizers or mini-sweet treats. The Rubbermaid TakeAlongs make carrying food easy and mess-free. So, I also bought a set of Rubbermaid TakeAlongs Rectangles for next weekend's Potluck party.
Before we head to the Panettone recipe, let me share with you tips on making
1. Always pick recipe which you can assemble a day in advance. This way you will not spend time cooking on the day of event.
2. While deciding for a recipe, always keep potluck theme in mind. :)
3. Food can go cold quickly. For sensitive foods, keep some ice packs ready to help in travelling.
4. Pack food in take-away safe containers with lid. This is one more reason I like Rubbermaid TakeAlongs. It's Quik Clik Seal™ technology keeps food secure and helps prevent spills in transport.
5. Above all, prep in advance and stay ahead of the game
How to keep Panettone Extra Moist?
Over the years, I have learned a best trick to keep, often dry Panettone, extra moist!! When cakes are just out-of-the-oven, brush each with a generous dab of unsalted melted butter. Seriously, you will be surprised what difference this little step can bring to texture of the cake. Makes it extra moist and delicious. Also, if you have a day-old-cake that feels little dry. Microwave cake for 30 seconds and then apply the butter. Result? Extra moist Panettone ever!! Best Part? Rubbermaid TakeAlongs are microwave safe. So you can re-heat cake right in the container! How cool is that?
Friends, here are a few of my favorite Christmas Gifting and Potluck Tradition ideas.
3 Years Ago Christmas CakeandSavory Empanadas
2 Years Ago Christmas Panettone - an Italian Christmas Cake and Cream Puff with Chocolate Glaze
1 Year Ago Coconut and Orange Marmalade Cake and Cheese and Citrus-Chive Gougeres
Friends, I would love to hear what are your favorite Holiday Gifts from the Kitchen?! Do share! :) Happy Holiday Gifting month! Keep checking back for more excting recipes whole month! -Savita
Christmas cake or sweet gifting is huge in my book. Here are a few I've shared before.
Ingredients
- Penntone Christmas Bread
- 4 Cup All-Purpose Flour (plus few tablespoon extra if dough is too wet and for dusting board)
- 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips (60 or 70% dark chocolate chips)
- 1/2 Cup Dried Candy Fruit (red and green candy cherries, small chopped)
- 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract (1/2 vanilla bean, scrapped)
- 1/2 tsp Lemon Oil (or lemon essence, or zest of 1 lemon)
- 1.5 tsp Active Dry Yeast
- 3 Egg(s) (large, at room temperature )
- 1 Cup Water (lukewarm)
- 3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter (at room temperature, about 12 tablespoon, plus extra for brushing on loaves)
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
Directions
-
1. In a stand mix bowl, add lukewarm 1 cup water with 1 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle yeast on top and let it bloom for 10 minutes. Additional Notes:
If yeast doesn't bloom. Discard and start over again. -
2. To the yeast and water, all flour, salt, sugar, vanilla bean, and lemon essence. Using paddle attachment, mix until resembles bread crumbs. -
3. Add room temperature eggs. -
4. Mix until fully combined (1 minutes with paddle attachment) Now add room temperature butter in two batches, mix after each addition until fully incorporated. -
5. Add chopped cherries and chocolate chips, than combine with wooden or silicon spoon to evenly distribute in the dough. -
6. Oil a clean wide bowl and transfer the dough to bowl and swirl once to fully coat. Cover with plastic cling wrap and then clean kitchen towel. Leave overnight or for 9-10 hours in cold microwave or oven with door closed. I keep it in microwave box with door closed. Don't switch on microwave while dough is in there :) -
7. n morning dough will be of this size. -
8. Punch it down, transfer to flour dusted board, pat gently, don't use roller and divide in four equal parts. -
9. Place in mini-cake pans or if not gifting or can find penettone pan then put whole dough in one pan. Let it rise until just out of the pan. (2-3 hours in a warm dry place) -
10. Once dough has risen, it just fills the pan like shown in picture. -
11. Place oven rack in middle or lower half of the oven. Pre-heat oven at 370 degrees Fahrenheit. Once dough has risen, bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Rotate the pan once mid way through cooking. Bread is ready when toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Additional Notes:
If looks over browning, cover with aluminium foil for last 10 minutes of cooking. -
12. Once out of the oven, place brush a generous stroke of butter on each loaf, then let'em cool completely on wire rack. -
13. Pack into individual boxes and you are ready for Holiday Gifting!
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