8428 Christmas Sweet Question

Is it panforte or panaforte???

It's [B]Panforte[/B] and [B]Pan[U]e[/U]ttone[/B]

Thanks Gabbi. Yes that was a typo re panettone. Any idea though what was the sweet similar to panforte from the Siena region that I tasted???

I'm not sure, but from your description I guess it could be Panforte Nero if it was enriched with cocoa powder and spices or it might be something called Panforte Margherita, but then again, it could also be Panpepato, which has a bittersweet taste.

There are different varieties of Panforte, as Gabbi has mentioned, including a chocolate one. It is said that Panforte originated from Siena at the time of the Crusades.
As for Panettone, there are good ones and awful ones. As a general rule, the more you pay for it, the better it is... unless you know a good baker in your neighbourhood.
I bought some beautiful Panettones in Bagni di Lucca at the Excelsior pastry shop to give to my neighbours as a Christmas present before I left. Beautifully wrapped and yummy!!!

I love panforte but must admit that I find it quite difficult to get excited about panettone or pandoro. I find the best thing to do with it is make a bread and butter pudding (out of panettone) or toast panettone/pandoro over the fire - it improves it no end!

Hazel

Pandoro & panettone are really yummy if you just pop a slice in the microwave for 30 secs, and serve with fresh panna, or vin cotto. Mmm!

I had some panettone on my last visit a couple of weeks ago at a friend's house which was from the Coop. No pretty packaging but oh boy did it taste good!!! I also sampled two different ones at Wholefoods Market, Kensington as I mentioned before and the one for £5,99 was a little disappointing whilst the one at £10.99 was moist as it had been injected with "something" nice!!!!

Has anyone made one??? Here's a recipe I found online which I might try when I have some time. -

1)"They (recipies) all suggest working the dough, if possible, with mixer, because it's much easier and the dough reaches that just-ready state much faster. Just so you know, they say that the dough must be worked by hand for 50 minutes, or by machine for 20.

2)"The dough has to be prepared well in advance, at least 6-7 hours, and because of this chefs usually combine the ingredients the night before, to have something workable in the morning.

3)"The room where the panettone is made has to be warm, about 72 degrees F (22 C). The flour should also be warm, about 68 F (20 C); what's generally used is 00 grade (very fine all-purpose flour) and extremely dry (my note: you may want to dry your flour in an oven, as it absorbs moisture unless it's tightly sealed). The waterused should be warm, about 76 F (24 C).

4)"Don't forget a pinch of salt, because it stimulates rising; a little more salt will increase the rising while less will decrease it

5)"If you want your panettone to stay soft longer, add a little glucose to the dough.

6)"If you're in a hurry, don't replace wild yeast with baker's yeast because the latter isn't quite right.

7)"The baking time will depend upon the size of the panettone. Assuming a temperature of 400 F (200 C), half an hour will be sufficient for small to medium-sized panettoni,whereas larger ones will require considerably more. As I've said before, home ovens are best suited to small-medium-sized cakes.

8)"If you want the surface to be shiny, slip a bowl of water into the oven when the panettone is half cooked to raise the humidity.

9)"You'll find, for sale, panettoni that are taller than they are broad. To obtain this effect at home, you'll have to put a ring of heavily buttered thick paper around the dough when you put it in the oven, or use a panettone mold. If you instead want a panettone that's wider than it is high, like a normal bread loaf, simply put it in the oven (my note: you'll need a pizza stone or similar to do this)

10)"Everyone I've talked to says to tell you not to lose heart after the first, inevitable failures, because it's a difficult cake to make."

Having said all this, here we go.

For the first rising:

6 ounces (150 g) fresh yeast cake (or biga; ask your baker for this)

4 cups (400 g) flour

3/8 cup (90 g) unsalted butter

5/8 cup (110 g) sugar

6 yolks

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (200 ml) slightly warm water

For the second rising:

2 3/4 cups (275 g) flour

5/8 cup (110 g) unsalted butter

1 pound (400 g) sultana raisins

13 ounces 9300 g) mixed candied orange and citrus peels

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 yolks

A little flour for dusting the work surface and mold

The afternoon before, begin by cutting the butter into a casserole and melting it over a very low flame or a double boiler; keep it warm enough to remain melted. Dissolve the sugar in about 3/8 cup (100 ml) of warm water.

Put the melted butter, salt, and yeast cake in a mixing bowl and mix well, then add the yolks and sugar, and sift in the flour, stirring energetically all the while. Should the dough be quite stiff add a little more water. Keep beating with great energy for about 25 minutes, throwing the dough against the sides of the bowl, until it has become smooth, velvety, and full of air bubbles. At this point put it in a lightly floured bowl large enough for it to triple in volume, cover it with a heavy cloth, and keep it in a warm (85 F, 30 C) place for about 10 hours.

In the meantime, wash the raisins, picking over them to remove sticks and whatnot, drain them well and set them on a cloth to dry. Finely dice, but do not mince, the candied citrus peels.

When the dough is ready, turn it out on your work surface (or return it to the mixing bowl) and work in the flour, vanilla, and honey. Beet with considerable energy for about a half hour, then work in all but 2 tablespoons of the butter, which you will have melted as before, and the water, to which you will have added the salt. Continue working the dough until it becomes shiny and dry, and at this point add the fruit, working the dough to distribute it evenly. At this point you can divide the dough into pieces of the size you want; if you want to make yourpanettoni by weight, use a scale and figure that they'll decrease in weight by 10% during baking.

Lightly grease your hands with the butter and round the balls of dough, then put them on a board or plate and let them rise in a warm place for about a half hour. At this point lightly butter your hands again and put the panettoni in panettone molds (orput rings of stiff paler around their bases). Return them to their board and put them in a warm (68-80 F, 20-30 C, depending upon the season), humid spot to rise for about 6 hours.

Heat your oven to 380 F (190 C). Cut an x into the top of each panettone and put 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter over the cuts. Put the panettoni in the oven, and after 4minutes remove them and quickly push down on the corners produced by the cuts. Return them to the oven and bake them until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out dry.

When chefs remove their panettoni from the oven they put them upside down in special panettone holders to keep their flanks from collapsing. In a home situation this is not practical, and you'll dimply have to cool your panettoni on a rack.

[url]http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0946.htm[/url]

[IMG]http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z294/sallydonaldson/PeruginaPanettone750.jpg[/IMG]

Heat a cup of fresh milk and add a shot of espresso, then take a good chunk of Panettone, squash it together firmly in your hands and dip into the coffee. Excellent breakfast.

A dentist recommending panforte?? Are you sure you're not just trying to drum up business for the dentists across Italy - ma scherzo!!

I love the stuff too - just had a really good chocolate/nutty one (over several days).

Off to butto d'entro la pasta

Chris
[URL="http://www.olivopiegato.com"]Tuscany Bed and Breakfast - L'Olivo Piegato, The Crooked Olive[/URL]

[quote=The Smiths in Puglia;79073]I love panforte but must admit that I find it quite difficult to get excited about panettone or pandoro. I find the best thing to do with it is make a bread and butter pudding (out of panettone) or toast panettone/pandoro over the fire - it improves it no end!

Hazel[/quote]

Gabbi that breakfast does sound rather gnummy. I am often amazed by the lovely recipes you conjure up. I remember one where you used fresh figs in a smoothie for your wee one..

The only place I would use 'fresh figs in a smoothie for a wee one' would be if I were constipated. Fortunately, I do not suffer from this terrible affliction and the process of discharging waste matter is as comparatively easy for some as trying to be sagacious without reason. I don't recommend too many figs (smooth or otherwise) as they can have a very lax effect on ones ability to stray too far from the safety of the bathroom.

Ah there's a difference between us Gabbi. I can eat loads without a problem!!! So if you can find that smoothie recipie that would be really welcomed.

Errata - recipe

Surely you must suffer from wind at the very least if you can eat loads of figs. I think charcoal is good for wind, but would you enjoy eating charcoal (unless you're pregnant)? I've never written a recipe for fig smoothies, but you know that, so I'll see what I else can trawl up for you.

Is this a wind up??? lol No honestly I can eat figs ad infintum without any problem whatsoever. As for a fig smoothie recipe, well your memory seems to do you a disservice. I'm sure I saw it on Italia Uncovered (or was it here??? )

Sally, I've NEVER written, typed or posted a recipe for fig smoothies on this forum, Italia Uncovered or any other and if you saw it on another forum surely you should just use the one you have found there. My memory is fine and your suggestion that it's not, is doing only you 'a disservice'.

I would if I could find it!!! Maybe I dreamt it Gabbi and sorry if I did you a disservice by doubting you!!! lol

This is going a bit off topic, but what the hell!!!

When talking of figs in Italy be most careful of your pronunciation, saying the word wrongly can have almost as disastrous effects as eating too many of the fruit.

Hey Gabbi, Sally, lets be relaxed about the fig issue. I posted a recipe ages ago for figs baked in wine, which is lovely. sadly this year our figs went the way of our olives and other fruit trees due to the intense heat and drought.
A

[quote=Angie and Robert;79132]Hey Gabbi, Sally, lets be relaxed about the fig issue. A[/quote]
Nice pun! :laughs:

[quote=Ghianda;79100]A dentist recommending panforte?? Are you sure you're not just trying to drum up business for the dentists across Italy - ma scherzo!!

I love the stuff too - just had a really good chocolate/nutty one (over several days).

Off to butto d'entro la pasta

Chris
[URL="http://www.olivopiegato.com"]Tuscany Bed and Breakfast - L'Olivo Piegato, The Crooked Olive[/URL][/quote]

Hi Chris - no, that was me (Hazel)! However, Martin is thinking of installing a mars Bar vending machine in the waiting room - or maybe a dried fig machine would be better!!!

I like the idea of warming panettone in the microwave and then pouring cream over it - yum!

It was a banana smoothie for tua figlia!!! Found the recipe!!! lol

Are you trying to flummax me with your Italian??? Naughty Girl. lol

You'd do well to translate that sentence Sally, it'll be useful for when you grow up and climb off my back. Merry Christmas.

I have found a recipe for you Turtle. Be careful though it can cause diarrhoea.
Fig Smoothie
Makes 1 smoothie
Figs! Yummmm
Ingredients
· 10 figs, [soak overnight in purified water..]
· 2 cups almond milk/nut milk
· 1½ tablespoons ground flaxseed
Preparation
1.] Put figs & a little of the fig water in food processor. puree.
2.] Add almond milk.. then flax.. then whatever else you want in. Puree again
3.]Enjoy!!!

[quote=Angie and Robert;79132]Hey Gabbi, Sally, lets be relaxed about the fig issue. I posted a recipe ages ago for figs baked in wine, which is lovely. sadly this year our figs went the way of our olives and other fruit trees due to the intense heat and drought.
A[/quote]

Angie Hi. Pllease can you post the recipe again??? There are always loads of figs in France which just attract wasps. Cheers

Please lets stop talking about figs ...suffering from the old D.B's.. need to visit our local Toff and Turnip and get the very delightful barmaid to give me some digestivo me thinks.
Sprat