Chef Michael Angeloni didn’t always love panettone. Now, it’s the central ingredient to the beloved Toronto chef’s (Union Chicken, Amano) panettone bread and butter pudding – a crowd-pleasing holiday time favourite.
“As I have gotten older, panettone has become one of my favorite things – I hated it as a kid!,” says Angeloni. “Bread pudding has always been one of my favourites, so it just makes sense. The panettone is so great in a bread pudding, as it soaks up the custard really well, and the brown butter zabaglione just puts it over the top.”
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Angeloni says that the drier the panettone, the better. “Also, DO NOT use anything less than 35% cream,” he stresses. “Anything else will not set the same, not to mention it’s the holidays – indulge!”
The comforting pudding makes a memorable ending to a holiday dinner.
“This is a great way to end a holiday feast of some nice roast meat (porchetta for example), served with lots of beautiful vegetables and all the fixings,” says Angeloni.
As for Angeloni’s own holiday traditions, it all goes down on Christmas Eve.
“On Christmas Eve, my family eats, drinks, and opens presents (we don’t wait until the morning),” says Angeloni. “My mom usually makes a huge platter of delicious cakes, cookies, and other sweet treats. It’s my favourite!”
Impress your own friends and family this year with Angeloni’s (highly addictive) recipe…
Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding with Brown Butter Zabaglione
Portion: 6 1lb portions or 1 large ½ pan
Time: 1 hour/ can be done up to 2 days in advance
Equipment
- 2 medium sized pot
- Whisk
- Fine strainer
- Mixing bowl
- Icing sugar shaker or sieve
Ingredients
For the pudding:
- 600g diced panettone (about 1inch cubes), leave to dry overnight if possible
- ¼ cup melted unsalted butter
- 1 Liter 35% whipping cream
- ½ cup white sugar (You can substitute any type of sugar you like, i.e. coconut, maple, etc.…)
- 10 egg yolks, XL size
- 1 whole egg, XL size
- 1 pc cinnamon stick, 2inch
- 4 pc cloves
- 2 pc star anise
- 2 peels orange rind
Method:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a pot add cream, spices and orange peel bring to a boil and allow too steep for 10min. Meanwhile divide the panettone into the 6 containers or 1 large depending on which you choose. Drizzle the melted butter over the panettone and place in the oven for 8-10min until it gets golden brown, then remove from the oven. Bring the cream back to a boil, then place the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Once cream is hot slowly whisk into the egg mixture, strain into a jug or something you can pour with. Divide the cream mix over all the panettone and give it a light push with your fingers but allow some of the pieces to float. Place the pans into a tray with a lip put tray in the oven and just before closing the door add in some warm water so that it goes halfway up the containers of pudding. Bake uncovered for 30-45min or until the custard is set. Remove from the oven and let cool. You can serve this right away or leave to cool then re warm when you are ready to serve. Note it will come out of the dish nicely if completely cool for a nice presentation.
For the Zabaglione and Garnish:
1. 4 egg yolks, XL
2. 2Tbsp white sugar
3. 2Tbsp brown butter (cook butter in a pan till nutty brown, cool immediately
4. 2oz Cointreau or any liquor you like, i.e., madeira, Frangelico, etc.…
5. ¼ cup whipped cream, optional
6. ¼ cup toasted crushed pistachio, optional
7. 1 orange zested, optional
8. 2Tbsp icing sugar, optional
9. 6 nice sprigs of mint
Method:
Place a small pot half filled with water on a low heat. Once steam starts, add egg yolks, sugar, and liquor to a bowl and whisk well. Place the bowl over the pot of water and cook, continually whisking until the mix thickens but does not curdle. The mix should be thick and airy. Whisk in the brown butter, cover, and refrigerate for 30min. Once cold gently fold in the whip cream. To serve, warm the pudding in the oven, then place on a plate, spoon some of the sauce on top, a sprinkle of pistachio, zest of orange, a sprinkle of icing sugar and sprig of mint! Enjoy!
