I love panettone but am indifferent to pandoro. Growing up, Christmas Day breakfast for us was buttered toasted slices of panettone, and it is a source of great grief to me that my daughter is a pandoro person and refuses to continue the tradition. I love torrone, all sorts, and pan forte is my absolute favourite winter sweet. The best type of panettone to be gifted is one in a nice tin, which can be used year after year.
I have such a tin collection now! (The tragedy of the bland pandoro choice 😭💔 I have been searching for that grappa soaked one that I bought last year with no luck 😔)
Love this! I cannot believe I never had panettone until my second year ('22) wintering in Italy. I thought that they were too big for just me. Uhhh, nope! Luckily, where I am in Melbourne I have a great Italian butcher who gets them in for the holidays. While it won't be the same as being there this festive season, it will help.
An official Olympic panettone! At first, I thought you meant it would be an official sport of the Olympics in Milan, which seemed fair enough. At last, I thought, I'll get my medal.
There may be a few stragglers. but. You will definitely find Carnevale sweets. In Venice we have fritelle (deep fried doughnut-like filled with ricotta or stuffed with raisins) I have a guide in my archives. In Rome there is frappe (strips of deep fried dough dusted with sugar) and castagnole (another doughnut adjacent treat)
I love this survey of Italian Christmas cakes. My favorite pandoro is the Nuvola, from Pasticceria Ghigo in Torino. Light and tender and, as its name suggests, cloud-like.
Ahhhh one of my all-time favorites! I have waited on line to get that deliciousness and bought it as a gift for some new Torino friends who invited me for a holiday gathering last December. Everyone at the party was ooo-ing and ahhhh-ing reverently over the 'snowball'.
You would LOVE it. Ghigo was recommended to me two years ago by a Chef friend from Florence as a must visit. It turned out to be right around the corner from my apartment and the lines there on Christmas week are 50 or more people. Worth it.
I shudder to think how much they will be this year with the tariffs. In Eataly and at Formaggio in Boston, some of the best could run up to $60 in previous years. Average for good quality panettone and pandoro and pandoro was around $30-40 (with the cheapest in supermarkets around $20), but who knows what we're facing now. 😭
I tried to do tariff research but couldn’t get any straightforward answers. I hope they snuck some shipments in before the worst 🙏🥹 Maybe this is the opportunity for American bakers to take on a project!
I love panettone but am indifferent to pandoro. Growing up, Christmas Day breakfast for us was buttered toasted slices of panettone, and it is a source of great grief to me that my daughter is a pandoro person and refuses to continue the tradition. I love torrone, all sorts, and pan forte is my absolute favourite winter sweet. The best type of panettone to be gifted is one in a nice tin, which can be used year after year.
I have such a tin collection now! (The tragedy of the bland pandoro choice 😭💔 I have been searching for that grappa soaked one that I bought last year with no luck 😔)
Fantastic dive and details into all the regional goodies!!!
Love this! I cannot believe I never had panettone until my second year ('22) wintering in Italy. I thought that they were too big for just me. Uhhh, nope! Luckily, where I am in Melbourne I have a great Italian butcher who gets them in for the holidays. While it won't be the same as being there this festive season, it will help.
It took me a long time to figure out they were delicious! Christmas in Melbourne sounds wonderful!
An official Olympic panettone! At first, I thought you meant it would be an official sport of the Olympics in Milan, which seemed fair enough. At last, I thought, I'll get my medal.
I always order more than I should from Corti Brothers in Sacramento, California. Guaranteed happiness!
We have a fishmonger here, of all things, who always imports a fabulous selection of panetonne for the holidays. I always indulge.
Ooo both sound delicious! We’ll be in Italy in late February. Any chance these will still be around or are they only available at Christmas?
There may be a few stragglers. but. You will definitely find Carnevale sweets. In Venice we have fritelle (deep fried doughnut-like filled with ricotta or stuffed with raisins) I have a guide in my archives. In Rome there is frappe (strips of deep fried dough dusted with sugar) and castagnole (another doughnut adjacent treat)
Thank you! Those all sound delicious. I’ll keep an eye out!
I was on the Big Island of Hawaii for Christmas and there was a giant panettone Display in the supermarket! Buon Natale to me🎄
Now that is the perfect combination! 🌴🇮🇹
There is something so comforting/Italian about the grocery store panettone display, mixed with the water bottles. A great list as well!!
I just love it! (Thank you 🙏)
I love this survey of Italian Christmas cakes. My favorite pandoro is the Nuvola, from Pasticceria Ghigo in Torino. Light and tender and, as its name suggests, cloud-like.
Ahhhh one of my all-time favorites! I have waited on line to get that deliciousness and bought it as a gift for some new Torino friends who invited me for a holiday gathering last December. Everyone at the party was ooo-ing and ahhhh-ing reverently over the 'snowball'.
I would love to try that!! I am woefully uneducated about Torinese cuisine
You would LOVE it. Ghigo was recommended to me two years ago by a Chef friend from Florence as a must visit. It turned out to be right around the corner from my apartment and the lines there on Christmas week are 50 or more people. Worth it.
It’s worth getting to know. How could anyone not love the city that brought us giandujia? And grissini?
Sold!
I shudder to think how much they will be this year with the tariffs. In Eataly and at Formaggio in Boston, some of the best could run up to $60 in previous years. Average for good quality panettone and pandoro and pandoro was around $30-40 (with the cheapest in supermarkets around $20), but who knows what we're facing now. 😭
I tried to do tariff research but couldn’t get any straightforward answers. I hope they snuck some shipments in before the worst 🙏🥹 Maybe this is the opportunity for American bakers to take on a project!