In the kitchen with Sigona’s featuring Panettone Easter Bread Pudding

Panettone, traditional Italian holiday bread, is the base for this recipe.  This version of bread pudding manages to be festive and comforting all at once.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 5 cups cubed Panettone bread (about a loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes.  If you don’t have a whole loaf, you can mix it up with other breads to get 5 cups).
• 8 eggs ½-1 cup sugar (depending on your sweet tooth)
• 2 cups light cream (milk is fine, just not as rich-tasting)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup amaretto or rum, optional
• nutmeg and cinnamon, to taste
• 1 cup mixed dried fruit, your choice  (raisins and citron are nice)

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 350.  Grease a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish with butter.  Add the cubed bread.

• In a mixing bowl, stir all liquids together, along with your sugar and spices.  Pour it over the bread cubes.  Let it set till the bread absorbs a lot of the liquid (about 20-30 minutes – though you could let it sit a couple hours if you like-if you do, please refrigerate).

• Bake 45 minutes or until a spaghetti stick or knife comes out clean.

Cook’s note: You can serve it warm or cold.  It’s also nice with a little vanilla gelato and just a drizzle more amaretto.