What is Panettone, why is it a Christmas staple?

You’ve probably never tried it before, but Panettone is a Christmas tradition, especially in Italian households! What is it? Read on to find out!

Panettone is more like a cake-like bread consistency that first originated in Italy way back in the 1500s. When it first came onto the Italian eating scenes, it was only eaten as a “luxury cake” during religious-type ceremonies. Its classic dome shape wasn’t always how it looked.

Due to mass production in the 1900s, the classic cake got its signature shape, and all of the Italians brought the new Christmas tradition with them as well!

Now, you’re probably wondering what exactly is in Panettone, what it tastes like, and what to do with it. Whether you’ve had it or not, you’ve definitely seen those classic container cartons that they come in this time of year, and we all know that you’re curious about what’s in them.

Let’s dive into all of the flavors and goodness of Panettone Christmas cakes

Nowadays, Panettone is considered more of a dessert. Its classic original version is made with raisins, dried candied fruits, and sometimes citron as well; however, there are tons of other versions as well that are just as delicious.

Obviously, my personal favorite is the original classic; however, my favorite variety is 100% without a doubt the Tiramisu variety that has coffee cream lined on the insides to make you drool and pretty much eat the whole entire cake without even telling anyone that you got one (me).

What do you do with leftovers? While it does freeze well, my personal favorite way to repurpose Panettone is to make some lovely French Toast with it the next morning (after Christmas for example). Some people also make Bread Pudding out of it, or they just eat it without having leftovers at all!

What’s your family’s favorite Christmas foodie tradition? Have you tried Panettone before? What are your thoughts? Be sure to let us know in the comments!