Part cake, part bread, these buttery festive Italian treats have become a Christmas staple across Europe. Surprisingly easy to make at home, here using recycled cans for individual ones, these are flavoured with cinnamon, citrus, ginger and vanilla. Full of juicy blueberries, they make a delicious festive breakfast or tea-time treat, and would be lovely wrapped in cellophane as little Christmas gifts.
Spiced Blueberry Panettones
Makes 8
Ingredients
200g unsalted butter, diced plus 15g extra
500g white bread flour
½ teaspoon salt
100g caster sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 orange, finely grated rind
1 lemon, finely grated rind
4 teaspoons easy blend dried yeast
200ml semi skimmed milk
3 medium eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
150g ready diced mixed candied peel
2 tablespoons ready chopped glace ginger
150g blueberries
You will need 8 washed food cans to bake the panettones in.
Method
1. Melt 200g of the butter gently in a saucepan, then take off the heat and leave until it feels warm to a fingertip.*
2. Place the bread flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon and fruit rinds in a large bowl, add the yeast and mix together.
3. Warm the milk in a second saucepan until it feels just warm to a fingertip.* Beat the eggs and vanilla together in a bowl, then gradually beat in the warm milk.
4. Gradually mix the wet mix into the dry flour mix and beat for 4-5 minutes.
5. Gradually trickle in the warm melted butter, beating well after each addition until the mixture is a smooth, glossy and elastic batter.
6. Cover the bowl with a clean tea cloth or cling film and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
7. Meanwhile, brush the inside of the washed and recycled cans with a little oil and line the bases with a circle of non-stick baking paper and the sides with a strip of paper that stands a little above the tins.
8. Knock the yeast batter back by beating for 1-2 minutes then stir in the candied fruit and ginger. Add the blueberries and gently stir together so that you don’t break them up.
9. Divide the batter between the lined tins. Cover the tops with a clean tea cloth then leave in a warm place for 1 hour or until the batter almost reaches the tops of the tins.
10. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan assisted. Remove the cloth from the top of the breads. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a deep brown and the bread sounds hollow when the tops are tapped. Take out of the oven, brush the tops with the remaining butter then cool for a few minutes.
11. Loosen the edges of the panettone, turn out and leave to cool on their sides on a wire rack.
12. When cold, wrap them in clean paper and return to the washed and decorated tins then wrap in cellophane, tie with ribbon and add labels. These can be kept for up to 4 days.
* Cook’s tip: As these rich breads contain a generous amount of butter and sugar, you will find that they take longer to rise than plainer breads. Make sure that the liquid is warm to your little finger – too hot and you will kill the yeast, too cool and it will take ages to activate the yeast and start the rising process.
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Spiced Blueberry Panettones
Makes 8
Ingredients
200g unsalted butter, diced plus 15g extra
500g white bread flour
½ teaspoon salt
100g caster sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 orange, finely grated rind
1 lemon, finely grated rind
4 teaspoons easy blend dried yeast
200ml semi skimmed milk
3 medium eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
150g ready diced mixed candied peel
2 tablespoons ready chopped glace ginger
150g blueberries
You will need 8 washed food cans to bake the panettones in.
Method
1. Melt 200g of the butter gently in a saucepan, then take off the heat and leave until it feels warm to a fingertip.*
2. Place the bread flour, salt, sugar, cinnamon and fruit rinds in a large bowl, add the yeast and mix together.
3. Warm the milk in a second saucepan until it feels just warm to a fingertip.* Beat the eggs and vanilla together in a bowl, then gradually beat in the warm milk.
4. Gradually mix the wet mix into the dry flour mix and beat for 4-5 minutes.
5. Gradually trickle in the warm melted butter, beating well after each addition until the mixture is a smooth, glossy and elastic batter.
6. Cover the bowl with a clean tea cloth or cling film and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
7. Meanwhile, brush the inside of the washed and recycled cans with a little oil and line the bases with a circle of non-stick baking paper and the sides with a strip of paper that stands a little above the tins.
8. Knock the yeast batter back by beating for 1-2 minutes then stir in the candied fruit and ginger. Add the blueberries and gently stir together so that you don’t break them up.
9. Divide the batter between the lined tins. Cover the tops with a clean tea cloth then leave in a warm place for 1 hour or until the batter almost reaches the tops of the tins.
10. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan assisted. Remove the cloth from the top of the breads. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a deep brown and the bread sounds hollow when the tops are tapped. Take out of the oven, brush the tops with the remaining butter then cool for a few minutes.
11. Loosen the edges of the panettone, turn out and leave to cool on their sides on a wire rack.
12. When cold, wrap them in clean paper and return to the washed and decorated tins then wrap in cellophane, tie with ribbon and add labels. These can be kept for up to 4 days.
* Cook’s tip: As these rich breads contain a generous amount of butter and sugar, you will find that they take longer to rise than plainer breads. Make sure that the liquid is warm to your little finger – too hot and you will kill the yeast, too cool and it will take ages to activate the yeast and start the rising process.
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Recipe c/o www.seasonalberries.co.uk