Holiday Shopping Tips:Panettone makes a thoughtful gift

Panettone makes a thoughtful gift (NC)—If you are of Italian decent, you are well aware that panettone is the traditional Christmas fruit bread of Italy, offered to family throughout the season and to friends when they drop by. In Canada, authentic panettone is readily available now sent by bakeries like Motta. Better still, the fruit bread – shaped like a cake – is packaged in shimmering gold paper at this time of year, perfect for ready-made, pre-wrapped gifts. You can bet that a gift of panettone for the uninitiated will be original indeed - and will likely spark conversation about this and so many other Italian customs at Christmastime.

Tell the recipient of your gift that the traditional candied-fruit and raisin panettone makes a nice light dessert when it is served warm from the oven with cream or ice cream. In Italy, it is also served with butter and jam for brunch, toasted for breakfast, and it is also known to produce exceptional french toast. At parties panettone may even be offered when sipping a glass of champagne. The tradition – spearheaded by the Milan baker Angelo Motta at the turn of the previous century – gradually embraced a variety of panettone-style cakes, such as tartufone filled with chocolate drops, chocolate icing, or frosted with white sugar.

"Panettone maintains its soft, light texture and fragrance if it is kept in its original packaging in a cool, dry place," says John-Paul Violante, spokesperson for Motta. "And do tell your friends that panettone will be even softer and tastier if it is warmed in the oven at a moderate temperature for a few minutes. In addition to the festively wrapped product, panettone is also available in the familiar Motta box for easy transportation."

Check the label before purchasing however to be sure the contents originate from Italy, even if the packaging appears to be Motta. The company says there are fakes of lower quality hitting Canadian shops from places like Peru.

"Authentic panettone, baked with natural yeast, and butter, eggs and fruit, will maintain its freshness if wrapped in several layers of plastic wrap," Violante said, "or it can be frozen for up to a month. Even so, remember to tell your friends that leftover, slightly dry fruit and raisin panettone is destined to make unforgettable toast."

- News Canada

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