In the Kitchen with Sigona’s Featuring: Pannettone

Panettone 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. You can serve it warm or cold. It’s also nice with a little vanilla gelato and just a drizzle more amaretto. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 5 cups cubed Panettone bread (about one 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
• 1/2 sugar (or more, depending on your sweet tooth and the flavor panettone you choose)
• 2 cups light cream
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup amaretto or rum, optional
• 2 tsp orange zest
• Nutmeg and cinnamon, to taste
• 1 cup mixed dried fruit, your choice (raisins or candied citrus 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, pressing the cubes down to submerge in the mix. Let it set till the bread absorbs a lot of the liquid (about 20-30 minutes; you could let it sit a couple hours if you like — if you do, please refrigerate).

Bake for 45 minutes or until the pudding puffs in the center and is set (and a toothpick stick or knife comes out clean). Cool slightly and serve.

Panettone French Toast

This is great for a Christmas weekend brunch for a crowd. You do most of the prep the night before so you can actually eat with your family instead of standing by the stove all morning! Original recipe from Diane Rezendes.

Ingredients:

• 6-8 thick slices of Panettone (more or less carved into the shape of a regular slice of bread)
• 6-8 eggs, to your preference (more eggs will create a more custard-like texture)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• A dash of salt
• Butter for your baking dish

Directions:

Prep the night before serving: Whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt. Pour into a shallow casserole dish, then place the bread slices into the dish. Turn them over so the egg side is up. There should be extra liquid in the bottom of the dish; it will be absorbed by morning. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In a hurry? You could shorten the soaking time to 2 hours if you wish.

Cook: Preheat oven to 325. Take a second baking dish and butter it well (otherwise the bread will stick). Using a spatula, transfer each slice from the soaking dish. Bake about 20-30 minutes. Test for doneness: a knife inserted will come out clean. Serve at once.

Serve: Top with butter and real maple syrup – add some Niman Ranch bacon or ham on the side, and set out a bowl of satsumas, berries or other in-season fruit.