There’s something about Christmas that brings out the European sweet tooth amongst us Brits. Alongside the usual fare of stodgy mince pies, Christmas pudding and fruit cake, around this time of year, supermarkets start stocking German festive treats such as lebkuchen, pfeffernusse and stollen, as well as Italian panettone and its less well-known cousin pandoro.
With a name that means ‘golden bread’, pandoro arose from Verona and became well known in the 18th century before chef later Domenico Melegatti patented a method of mass production. The critical difference between the two cakes is the lack of dried fruit used in pandoro, which makes it more popular among younger people.
Originating in 13th century Milan, panettone is a sweet, light yeasty dome-shaped cake that contains candied fruit and raisins, considered a symbol of good luck and prosperity. Often coming in large shiny jewel-toned boxes, this airy delicacy makes an ideal gift and afternoon snack but doesn’t usually get centrepiece status.
