food: eating panettone faq
what’s the best way to eat panettone?
By mouth. Or generally: face first.
is it healthy to eat the skin too?
If you mean the paper it’s made in – no, don’t eat that.
does panettone come from Germany?
No. It comes from Tesco, Aldi, Lidl and if you have money, Waitrose or Dolce & Gabbana.
how long does panettone last?
Once opened the entire loaf may last an hour or so. If it’s wrapped and placed in a cool, dry cupboard someone else may finish it before you.
does panettone last longer in a tin?
Yes if it’s kept in an attractive tin that looks unopened with a gift label addressed to a friend.
should panettone be sliced or eaten by the handful?
Either works but you will enjoy the tidy slices using a knife or electric knife. Don’t dip it in coffee. It’s said that Italians add mascarpone and chocolate to it but that’s so unnecessary. What do they know?
is there a recommended portion size for panettone?
No! Calorie-wise a large 100g slice (a fifth of a loaf) gives you 360 calories which is the same amount as a filled Krispie Kreme doughnut. In other words a 500g loaf equates with the calories of five doughnuts! That’s 1800 calories. If you don’t exercise: press softly on any area of your body? If it feels springy that’s squishy panettone – under your skin.
do you have buying advice on panettone?
Yes, not all panettone are equal. Most loaves weigh 500g and some weigh 750g and some fill the tin they’re in. Some contain more egg, butter, vanilla, chunky peel, more juicy fruit and even nuts or chocolate. Reading about these extras not only slows me down they might be unnecessary. I buy on weight and cost aiming for as low as £1 / 100g. If you simply warm your panettone as follows it’ll taste expensiver (that’s a word?).
is there a way to cut panettone?
A cake shop aiming to sell 20 equal-sized pieces of their cake will cut at an angle of 18° (and yet that’s often done without a guide). However at home you can cater for different needs by being ‘unfair’ (I don’t argue with those who want a small piece). You can get 20 unequal pieces if you cut a round panettone in half and then slice each half as shown.
By the way, you might cut a round cake as follows:
- 12 pieces – is easier maybe: cut the cake in half, cut the halves into thirds, half each third into half (= 30° ie 360° divided by 12 = 30°)
- 16 pieces: cut cake in half, cut into quarters, cut each quarter into four pieces. (~ 20°)
- 20 pieces: cut cake in half, cut into quarters, cut each quarter into five pieces (~ 18°). That’s tricky.
can panettone be improved with a topping?
No, but panettone can really be improved when you place a cut piece in the microwave < 10 seconds. Alternatively place the box on a warm radiator for ~30 minutes.
I don’t find this useful
OK – I normally write useful things – this is just one of thousands of articles from one of the first blogs on the Internet started in 1994.