Panettone Bread Pudding, Home Grown Traditions for #SundaySupper

 Panettone is an Italian sweet bread. Traditionally it is consumed over the Christmas and New Year Holidays in Italy. The bread has a flaky, buttery texture that is laden with dried fruits and nuts. Most often citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons are used but also can be combined with raisins. The baking process of this bread is a long one as I have found recipes that take a couple of days to proof the yeast and dough. I must admit, I love to bake bread, but not this bread. I buy this bread from our local specialty store when the Holiday season comes around and it is more easily found. 

A great way to use Panettone besides just enjoying a slice with a cup of coffee is to turn it into the base of a bread pudding. It is a rich bread, sweet and fruity that makes an equally delicious desert. Perfected when accompanied with a mascarpone whipped cream and drizzled with amaretto syrup. Christmas Eve's sweet bread turns into Christmas Desert at our house.

What you will need:                                                                          
For the Bread Pudding

                · Panettone Bread

                ·5 Eggs and 4 egg yolks

                · 1 cup of half and half

                · 2/3  cup of white sugar

                ·1/3 cup of brown sugar…Plus a tablespoon for sprinkling over the top before baking

                ·1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

                · ½ a stick of butter melted and ½ a stick for greasing your 

                   baking dish

                · ¼ teaspoon of salt

For the Cream:

                ·1 pint of heavy whipping

                  cream              

                · ½ cup of mascarpone cheese

                ·1/4 cup of white sugar

For the Syrup:

                ·1 and 1/2 cups of white sugar
                  1/3 cup of water

                ·2 tablespoons of Amaretto

               

 To begin, preheat your oven to 350F.  Grease up your baking dish with the additional butter. Then, cube up your bread and spread into that 9x13 baking dish.  In a separate bowl, combine the Half and Half with the eggs and yolks. Beat to incorporate. Then add in your vanilla extract, salt, sugars and the melted butter.  Once everything has been incorporated, pour the mixture over your bread. Let this stand for about 30 minutes or until the custard is absorbed by the bread. Then into the oven for 40 to 50 minutes. The bread will puff up as it bakes and the top should get a nice golden crust. 

While the bread pudding is baking, I then put together the syrup and the whipped cream.  On the stovetop, in a saucepan, I combine the sugar, water and Amaretto and let that boil into a simple syrup. Take care not to burn the sugars. For me, this means standing over it to keep a close eye on the pan. Once it has become the syrup like consistency, I let it cool in the pan before putting it into a mason jar. 

For the cream topping, into my Kitchen Aide Mixing bowl, I combine the heavy whipping cream and sugar. Whip with your whisk paddle. If doing with a hand mixer, whisk away.  Once the cream has solidified to soft peaks, I then carefully fold into it the mascarpone cheese. Take care not to over mix or you will lose the fluffiness of the whipped cream. The cheese really adds some dimension to the whipped cream and compliments the bread pudding. 

To serve, I scoop out the bread pudding and place in a bowl. Then drizzle the syrup over the top and place the whipped topping off to the side. I like to eat this warm so I do not want the heat of the dish to melt my topping. My father prefers to put the whipped cream topping right on top and let it melt. To each his own right? 

At this special time of the year the #SundaySupper mission of bringing families back together is as important as anytime. The holidays are a special time for tradition keeping and making. In my house, we have a blend of old and new, cultural traditions and just our own fun quirks.  The importance of the season is not lost on us. The spirit of the Holidays is all around us and it is truly better to give than to receive. 

From my family to yours, Happy Holidays.

Enjoy,

 : )

The #SundaySupper crew has written up some fabulous dishes that I can not wait to try out.  They are a must read and try.


Breakfast

• Eggs Benedict by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Holiday Cream Cheese Tea Ring by That Skinny Chick can Bake
• Orange Refrigerator Rolls by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake by Small Wallet Big Appetite

Appetizers & Snacks

• Chicken Liver Pate by Tora’s Real Food
• Bindaetteok {Mung Bean Pancakes} by Kimchi Mom
• Crab and Asparagus Soup by The Urban Mrs.

Sides

• Potato Salad {Schwaebischer Kartoffelsalat} by Galactopdx
• Italian Orange Salad by Shockingly Delicious
• Sweet Potato Casserole by Magnolia Days
• Carrots au gratin by Juanitas Cocina

Main Dishes

• Char Siu Bao – Chinese Roast Pork Buns by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Savory Crepe Cake by Vintage Kitchen
• West Indian Curried Goat by The ROXX Box
• Pot Cheese and Potato Cheese Pierogies by Cupcakes and Kale Chips
• Seafood Gumbo and Grilled Oysters: A Louisiana Christmas Tradition by the Catholic Foodie
• Mom’s Paella by What Smells So Good?
• Portuguese inspired Chorizo Crown Pork Roast by Family Foodie
• Dorie’s Chicken in a Pot by Gotta Get Baked
• New Year’s Eve Buckwheat Noodles with Mochi by The Ninja Baker
• Mile High Lasagna by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Crab Cakes for Christmas Eve by Daddy Knows Less

Desserts

• Pizzelles {Italian Wafer Cookies} by Chocolate Moosey
• Fudge by Dinner Dishes and Desserts
• Crescent Cookies by Cookistry
• Christmas Stollen by Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
• Pfeffernussen by The Foodie Army Wife
• Creme De Menthe Cake by I Run for Wine
• Panettone Bread Pudding by the Country Girl in the Village
• Spiced Gingerbread Gooey Butter Cake | A twist on a St. Louis Favorite by Daily Dish Recipes
• Chocolate Gingerbread Cake with Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting by Crispy Bits and Burnt Ends
• Jamaican Christmas Pudding by Lovely Pantry
• White Chocolate Cranberry Santa Cookies by Mooshu Jenne
• Christmas Tree Cookies by Damn Delicious
• Old Fashioned Lady Fingers {Creamhorns} by The Meltaways
• Rose Milk Almond Falooda {Indian Dessert Drink} by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

Drinks

• Wine Pairings by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
• Cinnamon Infused Hot Chocolate with Southern Comfort Whipped Cream by Mama Mommy Mom

The posts are more than recipes. They are also wonderful stories of holidays and traditions. Please take the time to visit and read each heartwarming one.

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat.

Check our our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.