food: eating panettone faq
what’s the best way to eat panettone?
By mouth. 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 store better 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 it may be sliced with 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 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 similar to that from a filled Krispie Kreme doughnut. In other words a 500g loaf equates with the calories from five of those doughnuts. That’s 1800 calories. If you don’t exercise: press softly on any area of your body? Does it feel springy? That’s squishy panettone – under your skin.
do you have any 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 (although that’s a word I’d invent for iPhones and suchlike).
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 I don’t how that’s often done without a guide). However at home you can be unfair – which I feel caters for different people. Never 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.
Traditionally you might cut a round cake as follows:
- 12 pieces – easier maybe: cut the cake in half, cut the halves into thirds, half each third into half (= 30° ie 360° divided by 12 = 30°)
- 12 pieces: cut cake in half, cut into quarters, cut each quarter into three pieces (= 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°)
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 funny
Well luckily perhaps you’re not addicted to this as much as I am