Christmas is a time for epicurean treats and back home in England I've always enjoyed a piece of iced and marzipanned rich, fruity Christmas cake over the holiday period. Preparations for it would begin in the autumn with my Mum and her friend buying in all the ingredients. Then there would be the big mixing and baking day following an age old family recipe they'd used for years which was written out on a yellowing curled up bit of paper which only saw the light of day once a year. This would be followed by lots of occasions when rum or brandy would be added to the cake's base through holes made with one of gran's knitting needles! I never enquired whether it had been washed first. Nearer to Christmas there would be an event with lots of fun rolling out the marzipan, one of my absolute favourites at Christmas time and this would then be followed by another day involving the application of whiter than white royal icing and the addition of a little plastic Santa Claus and perhaps a "Merry Christmas" greeting made from silver paper. The days of preparation always culminated with everyone eating a slice of cake at Christmas Day teatime when my mum and Peggy would enquire - is it alright? - is it as good as last year's cake?? No one dared mention the one that had a burnt taste to it a few years previously! I've brought a small artisan made one with me to Italy this year and its sitting on the sideboard still in its brown paper wrapping waiting for the big day next Monday. It was necessary to bring one because here in Italy they don't eat the rich Christmas cake I've just described for another delicious Christmas delicacy prevails - panetonne!
I first came across panetonne back in 1998 when I moved down to London from Scotland to take up a new position at Christie's Education. There, in the build up to my first Christmas in my new job, my colleague and friend Pietro Raffo, who hailed from Lucca in Tuscany, presented me with a beautiful boxed and ribboned panetonne he'd bought in the posh Fortnum and Masons in London. I took it home to Yorkshire and on Christmas Day my family and friends partook of this most Italian of treats. Along with the Christmas cake it was savoured by everyone and only the box was left by the time tea time had ended. But what exactly is panetonne and where did it hail from??
Essentially a panetonne is a sweet, citrus and raisin flavoured loaf cake cylindrical in shape and with a domed top. It's always taller than its wide and its light, airy interior contrasts with the darker colour of the outside crust. Just like the English Christmas cake the recipe involves a lengthy process and in the case of panetonne the proving of the dough to produce the light, fluffy texture, can last several days.
There are arguments about its origins but most sources believe it originated in northern Italy, most likely in Milan, during the medieval period. This idea is supported by a surviving 15th century manuscript by Georgio Valagussa, who was a tutor to members of the noble Sforza family, where the sweet loaf cake is mentioned. It seems quite likely it was made from a yeast based wheat bread recipe which was enhanced with the peel, zest and raisins, to make it in to something special for the Christmas celebrations. When doing the research for this posting however I came across several stories associated with the origins of panetonne which are worth sharing here.
The first of these legends supports the notion that panetonne had its origins in Milan. In the late 15th century Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, was holding a court dinner for Christmas. Unfortunately his chef, having masterly prepared all the main course dishes, burnt the dolce (dessert). When it came time for the dessert to be served the distressed man called on his staff for ideas of what could be done. A lowly pan washer and general dogsbody called Toni, offered the chef a sweet loaf he'd made earlier that day from leftovers which he'd intended to eat himself at bedtime. The chef sliced it and served it to the Duke and his guests and awaited the outcome. The chef was eventually sent for and the Duke specifically wanted to complement the chef on the dessert course - it was a huge success. The "bread of Toni" thus gave birth to this popular sweet bread - PANETONNE.
A second story attributes the origin of panetonne to a nun - Sister Ughetta, who at Christmas time fashioned the sweet cake as a treat for her convent sisters who normally ate very frugally throughout the year. She added fruit and peel to the mix and before baking used a knife to make a crucifix shape in the top of the cake.
It's the third legend that appeals to my own imagination however. A nobleman falconer Ughetto falls in love with a girl from a lowly background for she's a baker's daughter and her father's business has come across hard times. Ughetto's family are apalled at his choice of future wife and forbid the courtship and any marriage between the two lovers. Towards Christmas Ughetto sells some of his beloved falcons to help out his lover's father. He purchases butter and sugar and then sneaks in to the bakehouse and adds the ingredients along with peel and raisins to the usual bread mix and a new type of loaf is baked. It soon turns out to be a runaway success with customers and business booms making his girlfriend's father a rich man. Impressed with the changed fortunes of the family Ughetto's parents allow their son to marry the baker's daughter and they all lived happily ever after!!
Whatever the origins of the sweet loaf - it was in the early 20th century that panetonne production changed from being a largely artisan made product in to something produced on a much larger scale. Two enterprising Milanese bakers seperately began to produce it on a factory scale - in such large quantities that it became possible to export it to the rest of Italy and even abroad where there were large immigrant Italian populations. Though there have been many takeovers and Nestle are now the owner of a number of original producers, there are still several large companies making panetonne. Few Italians make it using a home recipe though and today its been estimated that over a 100 million panetonnes are made for home and export consumption in the run up to each Christmas. It's thought to involve at least 600 million euros of business every year. Since 2013, in Milan, a competition is held for the best panetonne and a special award is made to the judge's choice. In 2016 it was evidently won by Giuseppe Zippo from Salento.
Walk in to any Italian supermarket in the run up to Christmas and you will come across boxed panetonnes piled high in special displays. We went down to the supermarket in Chiusi this morning and I took the photograph below to illustrate the point.
There are however, in many Umbrian and Tuscan towns, artisan bakers who still make panetonnes at Christmas time in the traditional way and I'm always bowled over by their splendour if not the price that is charged for them. My favourite artisan cake shop and chocolatier, Nando's, is in Orvieto just over half an hour south of where we are near Castiglione. Every year they have a magnificent display of panetonnes made on the premises for their customers. One year I will splash out and buy one!!
So do I have a verdict on whether its Christmas Cake from England or Panetonne from Italy??
Well - I have grown to love this aromatic, light and fluffy Italian delicacy, especially when its served with marscapone cream and a glass of sweed dessert wine. I suppose the old cliche "When in Rome do as the Romans do" has to apply for Christmas here in Umbria. That won't stop me sneaking a piece of my Christmas cake at some point over the holiday though and there will be a toast to Mum and Peggy for Christmas cakes past. I bet they'll be looking down and saying "how come you didn't make the cake yourself to the old family recipe? - how could this one match up to ours?" Somehow I also don't believe they'd think the panetonne was a good enough substitute for the home made English Christmas cake!
MERRY CHRISTMAS
IAN
PS - I forgot to mention that the Italians serve panetonne at any time on Christmas day but most often as a dolce after the main meal. It's considered to be bad luck to cut off the crown and eat that separately evidently!!
I first came across panetonne back in 1998 when I moved down to London from Scotland to take up a new position at Christie's Education. There, in the build up to my first Christmas in my new job, my colleague and friend Pietro Raffo, who hailed from Lucca in Tuscany, presented me with a beautiful boxed and ribboned panetonne he'd bought in the posh Fortnum and Masons in London. I took it home to Yorkshire and on Christmas Day my family and friends partook of this most Italian of treats. Along with the Christmas cake it was savoured by everyone and only the box was left by the time tea time had ended. But what exactly is panetonne and where did it hail from??
 |
| PANETONNE IS A MUCH LOVED CHRISTMAS TREAT HERE IN ITALY |
Essentially a panetonne is a sweet, citrus and raisin flavoured loaf cake cylindrical in shape and with a domed top. It's always taller than its wide and its light, airy interior contrasts with the darker colour of the outside crust. Just like the English Christmas cake the recipe involves a lengthy process and in the case of panetonne the proving of the dough to produce the light, fluffy texture, can last several days.
 |
| A TRADITIONAL ITALIAN PANETONNE |
There are arguments about its origins but most sources believe it originated in northern Italy, most likely in Milan, during the medieval period. This idea is supported by a surviving 15th century manuscript by Georgio Valagussa, who was a tutor to members of the noble Sforza family, where the sweet loaf cake is mentioned. It seems quite likely it was made from a yeast based wheat bread recipe which was enhanced with the peel, zest and raisins, to make it in to something special for the Christmas celebrations. When doing the research for this posting however I came across several stories associated with the origins of panetonne which are worth sharing here.
The first of these legends supports the notion that panetonne had its origins in Milan. In the late 15th century Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, was holding a court dinner for Christmas. Unfortunately his chef, having masterly prepared all the main course dishes, burnt the dolce (dessert). When it came time for the dessert to be served the distressed man called on his staff for ideas of what could be done. A lowly pan washer and general dogsbody called Toni, offered the chef a sweet loaf he'd made earlier that day from leftovers which he'd intended to eat himself at bedtime. The chef sliced it and served it to the Duke and his guests and awaited the outcome. The chef was eventually sent for and the Duke specifically wanted to complement the chef on the dessert course - it was a huge success. The "bread of Toni" thus gave birth to this popular sweet bread - PANETONNE.
 |
| LUDOVICO SFORZA, DUKE OF MILAN DID HE EAT THE FIRST PANETONNE? |
A second story attributes the origin of panetonne to a nun - Sister Ughetta, who at Christmas time fashioned the sweet cake as a treat for her convent sisters who normally ate very frugally throughout the year. She added fruit and peel to the mix and before baking used a knife to make a crucifix shape in the top of the cake.
It's the third legend that appeals to my own imagination however. A nobleman falconer Ughetto falls in love with a girl from a lowly background for she's a baker's daughter and her father's business has come across hard times. Ughetto's family are apalled at his choice of future wife and forbid the courtship and any marriage between the two lovers. Towards Christmas Ughetto sells some of his beloved falcons to help out his lover's father. He purchases butter and sugar and then sneaks in to the bakehouse and adds the ingredients along with peel and raisins to the usual bread mix and a new type of loaf is baked. It soon turns out to be a runaway success with customers and business booms making his girlfriend's father a rich man. Impressed with the changed fortunes of the family Ughetto's parents allow their son to marry the baker's daughter and they all lived happily ever after!!
Whatever the origins of the sweet loaf - it was in the early 20th century that panetonne production changed from being a largely artisan made product in to something produced on a much larger scale. Two enterprising Milanese bakers seperately began to produce it on a factory scale - in such large quantities that it became possible to export it to the rest of Italy and even abroad where there were large immigrant Italian populations. Though there have been many takeovers and Nestle are now the owner of a number of original producers, there are still several large companies making panetonne. Few Italians make it using a home recipe though and today its been estimated that over a 100 million panetonnes are made for home and export consumption in the run up to each Christmas. It's thought to involve at least 600 million euros of business every year. Since 2013, in Milan, a competition is held for the best panetonne and a special award is made to the judge's choice. In 2016 it was evidently won by Giuseppe Zippo from Salento.
Walk in to any Italian supermarket in the run up to Christmas and you will come across boxed panetonnes piled high in special displays. We went down to the supermarket in Chiusi this morning and I took the photograph below to illustrate the point.
 |
| DISPLAYS OF PANETONNE IN THE "PAM" SUPERSTORE, IN CHIUSI, TUSCANY |
There are however, in many Umbrian and Tuscan towns, artisan bakers who still make panetonnes at Christmas time in the traditional way and I'm always bowled over by their splendour if not the price that is charged for them. My favourite artisan cake shop and chocolatier, Nando's, is in Orvieto just over half an hour south of where we are near Castiglione. Every year they have a magnificent display of panetonnes made on the premises for their customers. One year I will splash out and buy one!!
 |
| OUR FAVOURITE "NANDO'S" PASTICCERIA IN ORVIETO, UMBRIA |
Well - I have grown to love this aromatic, light and fluffy Italian delicacy, especially when its served with marscapone cream and a glass of sweed dessert wine. I suppose the old cliche "When in Rome do as the Romans do" has to apply for Christmas here in Umbria. That won't stop me sneaking a piece of my Christmas cake at some point over the holiday though and there will be a toast to Mum and Peggy for Christmas cakes past. I bet they'll be looking down and saying "how come you didn't make the cake yourself to the old family recipe? - how could this one match up to ours?" Somehow I also don't believe they'd think the panetonne was a good enough substitute for the home made English Christmas cake!
MERRY CHRISTMAS
IAN
PS - I forgot to mention that the Italians serve panetonne at any time on Christmas day but most often as a dolce after the main meal. It's considered to be bad luck to cut off the crown and eat that separately evidently!!
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