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December 20, 2016 By Deborah Dal Fovo 4 Comments

Sweet Italian Christmas:
Panettone Filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts

Panettone filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts - This easy recipe transforms classic Italian panettone into a festive, showstopping holiday dessert for elegant Christmas and New Years celebrations.

Most Italians would agree with me when I say that it wouldn’t be Christmas without Panettone. This golden dome-shaped sweet bread studded with raisins, candied orange peel and citron, that traditionally makes its appearance for Christmas and New Year, is a must to celebrate the holidays in Italy. You see them everywhere from artisan bakery windows to specialty stores and supermarkets, wrapped in colorful, decorative boxes that make them look like Christmas gifts perfect to bestow on family and friends for the holidays. In Italy, we often find ourselves with too many panettoni and don’t quite know what to do with them. I created this recipe for Panettone filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts as a way to dress up the cake-like bread and make it even more festive. Wrapped with a shiny ribbon and sliced at the table to reveal the surprise filling inside, it makes an elegant and joyous dessert for holiday dinners.

two-panettone-2

Panettone is a sweet, yeasted bread whose elaboration is considered a true accomplishment in the pastry world. Its rich, buttery dough somehow defies gravity as it rises three times in thirty-plus hours to form a light and airy texture scented by the sweet raisins and candied citrus fruits that dot its ethereal crumb. Baked in a decorative paper mold until deep burnished brown then hung upside down to maintain its distinctive rounded dome shape and impressive height, panettone is a holiday ritual and symbol of celebration in Italy. Invented in 15th century Milan, its legend has a few different versions and all of them reflect the labor of love that panettone is to prepare. The classic version containing raisins, candied orange peel, and citron is the original Panettone Milanese, and an obligatory slice is enjoyed as is or embellished with a dollop of mascarpone cream, crema di mascarpone, as a traditional holiday dessert or snack. While there are many commercial brands available, the best panettoni are made by the specialty bakeries of Milan. Since I’m not in Milan this Christmas, I enlisted the help of my Italian baker friend Gary Rulli for this post. Gary kindly offered me the authentic artisan panettoni Milanesi he makes at his Italian caffe’ and bakery, Emporio Rulli in Larkspur, California to use for my dessert.

Panettone filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts - The first step is to hollow out the panettone and sprinkle the bread crumb with Grand Marnier.

While this dessert is seemingly complex, it actually takes very little time and effort since the panettone is store bought. And that’s a very good thing during the holidays when time is precious. The first step to making it is to slice the dome top off the panettone and hollow out the cylindrical bread loaf to make room for the filling. I cut a circular shape in the panettone, leaving a sturdy bread border around the edges and along the bottom, then pull out the center crumb with my fingers to create the empty cavity where the filling will go. To add even more lovely citrus flavor to the dessert, I sprinkle the extracted crumb with Grand Marnier orange liqueur and let it soak in while the other ingredients for the filling are prepared.

Panettone filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts - Shaved dark chocolate and toasted hazelnuts fill this holiday bread.

First, I toast hazelnuts in the oven and tuck them into a kitchen towel to steam before rubbing vigorously in the cloth to remove bitter skins before chopping. Then, I shave a dark chocolate bar (70% cacao preferred) into shards using the blade of my chef’s knife. Here, I also chopped some homemade candied orange peel into tiny dice to add more citrus flavor. Lastly, heavy cream is lightly sweetened with confectioners sugar and whipped until thick and billowy before the chopped ingredients and liqueur baptized panettone pieces are carefully folded in.

Panettone filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts - The panettone bread pieces, shaved chocolate and chopped hazelnuts are folded into sweetened whipped cream for the filling.

The filling is spooned into the empty hollow of the panettone and its dome bread lid placed on top before it goes into the refrigerator to set for a couple of hours. And that’s it! Dessert is made with plenty of time to spare for last minute shopping or gift wrapping. Before serving the panettone, I dust the top with a generous snowfall of powdered sugar and garnish with extra chocolate curls shaved from the bar. Then I tie a beautiful gold ribbon around the bread and serve it on a gilt platter.

Panettone filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts - This easy recipe transforms classic Italian panettone into a festive, showstopping holiday dessert for elegant Christmas and New Years celebrations.

Panettone filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts - This easy recipe transforms classic Italian panettone into a festive, showstopping holiday dessert for elegant Christmas and New Years celebrations.

At the table (once the oohs and aahs have subsided), I remove the ribbon and cut the panettone into wedge-shaped slices, complete with decorative paper border, and serve it with glasses of chilled Moscato d’Asti. My Panettone filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts is a festive, delicious and, above all, easy to prepare dessert that makes holiday entertaining effortless and enjoyable. Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo a tutti! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Panettone Filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts: A peek inside this festive Italian Christmas bread filled with whipped cream, chocolate and nuts. A sweet surprise!

PANETTONE FILLED WITH WHIPPED CREAM, CHOCOLATE & HAZELNUTS
Panettone Farcito

Created by Deborah Dal Fovo on December 20, 2016

Panettone Filled with Cream, Chocolate and Nuts: A peek inside this festive Italian Christmas bread filled with whipped cream, chocolate and nuts. A sweet surprise! Traditional Italian Christmas sweet bread is made even more festive with a filling of whipped cream, chocolate shavings, chopped hazelnuts and candied orange peel. © 2016 Deborah Dal Fovo. All rights reserved.

  • Prep Time: 40m
  • Serves: 12
  • Category: Desserts - Dolci, Recipes

Ingredients

  • Panettone Milanese weighing 2¼ pounds/1 kilo
  • 2 cups /500ml heavy whipping cream, cold
  • 4 tablespoons /25g confectioners sugar, plus more to garnish
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier (rum or cognac can be substituted)
  • 1 3/4 ounces /50g dark chocolate, shaved or chopped into small pieces, plus more to garnish
  • ½ cup hazelnuts (almonds can be substituted)
  • 1/4 cup candied orange peel, cut into small dice (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180C°. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and place in center of hot oven for 5 to 7 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Remove from oven then place the hot nuts in the center of a clean kitchen towel. Gather the edges of the towel together to form a pouch then let the nuts steam and cool for 5 minutes. Pick up the pouch by the gathered towel ends and rub the hazelnuts against each other in the towel with your other hand to remove papery skins. Chop the nuts roughly and set aside. (If using almonds just toast and chop without removing skins).
  2. Cut the rounded dome top off the panettone in one clean horizontal slice about 1-1/4 inches in thickness, and set aside.
  3. Using a long, thin knife held vertically, cut out the center of the panettone leaving a 1-inch border around sides and a 1½ inches on the bottom, without perforating the bottom or sides of the bread. Hollow out the bread crumb from the center of the panettone then tear it into pieces and place in a bowl. Sprinkle the panettone crumb pieces with Grand Marnier and toss to coat.
  4. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream until thickened. Add the confectioners sugar and beat for another minute until light and fluffy but not dry.
  5. Fold the torn panettone pieces, chocolate, hazelnuts, and candied orange peel (if using) into the whipped cream. Fill the hollow of the panettone with the whipped cream mixture, pressing down slightly. Replace the bread dome top on the panettone and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
  6. Before serving, dust the top of the panettone with powdered sugar and decorate with chocolate shavings. Place on a round platter and wrap with a festive ribbon if desired. Serve cut into wedges using a serrated knife, taking care to cut through the paper wrapped base cleanly so each slice has a decorative border.
  7. Serve on individual dessert plates accompanied by a glass of moscato d'Asti or other dessert wine or liqueur.
Source: Deborah Dal Fovo
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Filed Under: Desserts - Dolci, Recipes, Uncategorized

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Comments

  1. Diane park says

    December 30, 2016 at 10:50 pm

    Made this for Christmas dessert. Everyone loved it! Tasted better the next day-will become a new tradition. My daughter and I took a class from Deborah years ago at Ramekins in Sonoma and swear by her recipes. Avid followers!

    Reply
    • Deborah Dal Fovo says

      January 2, 2017 at 10:57 am

      Diane, thank you so much for your kind comment! I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the filled panettone and have added it to your family holiday traditions. It’s a pleasure to hear that you follow me and use my recipes with success and I look forward to bringing you more delicious dishes in 2017.
      Happy New Year!!
      Deborah

      Reply
  2. Rana Costanzo says

    December 15, 2023 at 6:11 am

    I would love to make this for this coming Christmas, but have tried making candied orange peel a couple of times as well as buying
    it and it has never been very good. Can you tell me how you make yours so this recipe comes out as wonderful as yours?

    Reply
    • Deborah Dal Fovo says

      January 9, 2024 at 1:24 pm

      Hello Rana, and sorry I didn’t see your comment before Christmas. I use my friend and colleague, Rosetta Costantino’s, recipe (more or less). You can find it on her website http://www.cookingwithrosetta.com. My recipe for candied Buddha Hand can be found on my Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17899609021295409/ . I hope you still make my recipe for an after holiday event. Panettone. is still available and a becoming a year-round delicacy. Let me know your results!
      Keep cooking,
      Deborah Dal Fovo

      Reply

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