Chocolate Panettone

A Christmas classic of Italian origin

It is one of the typical sweets of the Christmas season. The panettone joins other classics of these dates as nougat, marzipan, polvorones, the biscuits of Murcia stuffed with angel hair, the puff pastries, the alfajores, etc.

The panettone is originally from Milan (Italy) and, according to one of the many legends about this product, it was born around 1490, when a young aristocrat falls in love with the daughter of a pastry chef and to impress her he prepared for the first time this sweet. Another story reveals that in the Ludovico El Moro, when preparing a dessert for a special occasion it got burnt in the oven and therefore he proposed to quickly knead a bread with fruits, impressing the diners.

This sweet bread, as it is commonly called in Latin America, has a dome shape, is very spongy and filled with candied fruits. There are also recipes that add chocolate chips or different fillings, such as Baileys cream or fruit marmalade.

Ingredients for 8 portions

• 110 g of flour
• 88 ml of water
• 5 g fresh baker’s yeast
• 430 g of flour
• 30 g of pure cocoa powder
• 132 g of sugar
• 5 g of salt
• 70 ml of whole milk
• 42 ml of Amaretto
• 16 g honey
• 110 g egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
• 35 ml of water
• 22 g fresh baker’s yeast
• 110 g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 65 g chocolate chips
• 100 g of assorted nuts (nuts, hazelnuts, almonds)

Decoration

• 300 g of icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons of water
• Assorted dried fruits
• Assorted Nuts

Step by step elaboration

1. The night before baking prepare the first 3 elements by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl and covering with plastic wrap. Leave 1 hour at room temperature and then store in the refrigerator until the morning of the next day.
2. Make the first kneading of our panettone dough with the prepared mix, sugar, milk, Amaretto, honey, yolks, vanilla paste, flour and cocoa, adding salt and water little by little until the ingredients are equally merged. Use an electric mixer or a manual mixer with kneading hooks as it is necessary to knead for a minimum of 10 minutes.
3. Add the crumbled yeast and continue kneading at medium speed for 20 minutes.
4. Let the dough rest a few minutes before proceeding with the second kneading, incorporating the butter, and kneading for another 15 minutes or until obtaining a smooth, hydrated dough that does not stick to your hands.
5. If the dough is somehow sticky, grease your hands with a few drops of oil and continue the process. Do not add more flour.
6. Cover with a clean dishcloth and let it stand for 10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, chop the nuts.
8. After the rest time, uncover the dough and spread the chocolate chips and nuts over the surface. Press gently, but be careful not to crush it.
9. Divide the dough into two halves and place one on top of the other. Gently squeeze and divide the dough again in two, placing one half over the other. Repeat the process two more times until the chocolate chips and nuts are fully integrated.
10.  Then toss the dough and let it ferment in a greased bowl and covered with a clean cloth until it doubles in size.
11.  Place the dough on the work surface and divide into four equal portions that we roll and put in four panettone molds of 14 cm. diameter.
12.  Brush with melted butter, cover with a clean cloth and leave to ferment again inside the oven at a constant temperature of 30ºC for about 4-5 hours.
13.  When the dough rises almost to the edge of the mold, brush again with melted butter and make a cross-shaped form on the surface.
14.  Cook the panettone in the oven, preheated at 180 ° C with top and bottom heat for about 30-35 minutes.
15.  Once baked, it should cool upside down so that it doesn’t fall apart. To do this, prick each capsule with 2 skewers through the lower part of the capsule, turn and let them cool face down.
16.  Once cold, decorate with royal icing (icing sugar and water), dried fruits and chopped nuts.

‘Harmonies in Flavors and Fragrances’ by Juan Muñoz Ramos.

Sweet, fresh and fruity. So is this cider from pears from centuries-old trees and from which Enric Bordelet has made an art of flavor. Unrivaled flavors that blend with the textures of the cake and chocolate and give life to the nuts, like Poiré Granit, tasty and mineral.

Tasty, elegant and creamy, this is the water that best accompanies both great products and great drinks. We talk about S.Pellegrino, the water of the stars, the champagne of waters.

And in this way, cider and water come together and create a warm and fruity atmosphere with Christmas flavors when tasting this panettone of chocolate and nuts.

You see, sponge cake, chocolate, nuts, fine water and fruity cider, a trilogy that is worth experiencing.

Tips

• If you’d like a smoother chocolate flavor, reduce the amount of cocoa and increase the grams of flour accordingly.
• The nuts can be changed to other types different from those indicated in the list of ingredients.
• For additional flavor and texture, add finely chopped candied fruit to the dough.
• Amaretto is an almond liqueur and provides a touch of delicious flavor, but can be substituted for brandy, rum, whiskey or another similar liquor. You can also do without the liquor. In this case we increase the amount of milk by 42 ml.

Make it a perfect meal with our Salmon Tartare, here you can find the step by step recipe.

End this amazing meal with a Black and White Chocolate Truffles, click here to see the complete recipe.

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