Christmas conjures up so many ideas in my mind. Cold sometimes snowy evenings, sharing food and drinks with friends and family, long walks with the children, giving of presents, laughing, smiling and not forgetting the overeating!!

But for me, when you say Christmas I say, ‘Panettone’ and ‘Asti’. Classy chick, that’s me. This is my indulgence. Delicious Christmas cake and lots of bubbly Asti.

Panettone has been mass produced in Milan since the early 1920’s and still are to this day. In Italy panettone can be bought all year round, but in Britain you tend to find only certain holidays you can grab them here. Christmas and Easter are the best times to fill your cupboards. But no need to wait. You can try my new tested recipe.They are just so delicious. Dome looking and rotund. Sizes and flavours vary. From a plain vanilla panettone to a fruit filled offering full of mixed dried peel and sometimes a little alcohol. A perfect family treat. A wonderful gift of a panettone, simply delicious and you can even find them in beautifully decorated tins at Christmas.

Now I have been given some bakery items from ‘BakeryBits‘ to try………. Wow, if only you could smell the essence and taste the peel. The varieties are amazing and so I am now off to play!!

Rainbow peel………….

11g yeast
400g strong white flour
1 tsp salt
80g caster sugar
1tsp panattone essence
2 medium eggs and 2 egg yolks
125ml milk semi skimmed
150g butter, room temp
80g raisins
80g cranberries
80g mixed rainbow peel

1. Warm the milk and pour in the yeast, give it a little stir, this is just a litlle kick start to wake the yeast up.
2. Pour the flour into a large mixing bowl, add salt
and make a well.
3. Pour in the milk and yeast and crack the two whole eggs into
the centre.
4. Combine and make a dough. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.

Essence …………
5. In the dough mixture add in the sugar, panettone essence and remaining two egg yolks. Add in the cubed soft butter and work into the dough. Combine thoroughly. Knead onto a floured board for a good five minutes or transfer into your stand mixer.
6. Place into a clean bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm to rise for 2 hours.
7. Prepare your cake tin or use a panettone tin or case. Cake tin 15cm tin. You would need to increase the height of the tin by 8cm, using double thickness parchment.

8. Once risen, tumble the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knock back and knead in the dried fruit and mixed peel, I love the final play with the dough, because it looks like you are studding the dough with beautiful bright jewels.
9. Pop the dough that has been studded with Christmas jewels into your prepared tin. Cover and set aside for a further hour. Preheat the oven to 190C.
10. Place into the oven for 20 minutes, then lower to 180C for a further 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool and shake with white icing sugar snow.

Carmela x