not your re-gifted fruitcake.... Pannetone, my way.

I just had the most wonderful Christmas dinner with my family.  We had a Brandied Pumpkin soup, asperagus with holandaise, green bean casserole, fresh baked bread, a crown rack of pork roast with stuffing and for dessert Pannetone.  The Pannetone is my focus for tonight.  We made a lot of changes to it and I feel secure calling it a family recipe.

Recipe Pannetone:

Ingredients:
1/4 c milk
12 threads saffron
1/4 c heavy cream
1/3 c  rum
1/4 t vanilla extract
1/3 c butter, melted
2 eggs
1/4 c raw sugar
3/4 t salt
1 1/2 lemon zest
3 c flour
1 T yeast
1 c dried cherries, craisins, dates, figs
3/4 c almonds or pecans

Glaze
2 T honey
2 T lemon juice
2 T rum
2 T butter


Directions:
1)   Scald milk, mix in saffron and let cool to room temperature.
2)   Add yeast to milk and saffron mix to bloom
3)   Combine bloomed yeast with 1/2 c heavy cream, 1/4 c rum, vanilla, eggs and butter
4)   In a second bowl combine flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest
5)   Mix together the two bowls and knead until smooth
6)   raise for 1 hour
7)   punch down and knead in dried fruits and nuts
8)   butter and flour bundt pan
9)   shape dough into ring and place in bundt then let rise for 1 hour in a warm place
10) bake at 350 for 30 minutes
11) mix together all items for glaze and brush onto panneton as soon as you pull it from the oven
12) wait a few minutes for glaze to soak in then remove from pan and serve

I hope this rekindles your love of the fruitcake.

Anthoinette