Mini Panettone : Easy Edible Christmas Gifts

Above: Macadamia, White Chocolate and Cranberry Panettone & Mini Chocolate & Almond



Lately I've become addicted to baking Panettone. Baking them and eating them that is. They have to be one of the most comforting of Christmas recipes. The warm yeast rising and the mixture of spices fills the house with the nicest of smells. No candle could compete with the toasted Macadamia, White chocolate and Cranberry beauty that I made recently. Mixed Spice and Raisin, dark Chocolate and Orange. The different flavour combinations are endless. I decided to make some small ones to give as part of  some Christmas hampers. One of these with a little jar of flavoured butter (cointreau, rum or brandy) makes a gorgeous gift and if not eaten straight away they can be toasted for breakfast or transformed into a luxurious bread & butter pudding!

Dark Chocolate and Toasted Almond Panettone

Makes 1 large or 6 mini (depending on tin size)

350g strong bread flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 sachet (7g) fast action yeast
50g golden caster sugar
100g almonds, toasted & chopped
100g butter, soft
3 eggs, beaten
4 tbsp milk, warm
100g dark chocolate, chopped
25g melted butter, to finish

• Grease and line the tin(s) with greaseproof paper. If using mini silicone tins there's no need to grease or line them.
• Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the yeast, sugar and nuts
• Make a well in the centre. Add the eggs, butter and milk. Mix well. Turn out onto your work surface.
• Knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. This can also be done in a mixer using a dough hook.
• Place into a large greased bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to double in size for an hour in a warm place.
• Once risen punch down the dough with your fist, knead for 5 minutes. Gradually knead in the chopped chocolate. Shape and place into the prepared tin(s)
• Preheat the oven to 180C. Leave the dough to rise for 30 minutes. Carefully brush the top with melted butter. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden. I remove mine from the tin for the final five minutes to give them an overall golden colour.
• Once the base sounds hollow when tapped the loaves can be removed from the oven and left to cool on a rack. Duct with icing sugar once cooled and wrap.

I'm planning lots more edible gifts to share here on the blog and will also have an article in The Independent Weekend Magazine so I'll link to that here once it's out. Hope all your Christmas preparations are going well!

Lilly x