Xmas idea with panettone?

[Caz1971]

I just love panettone, an italian xmas cake, its so light and Im wondering if there are things u can do with it.

A facebook friend said she puts lots of foil around it and bakes ice cream in it.

[KatieRabbit]

You can make bread and butter pudding with it....

[AnyDream]

We make a frozen icecream pudding inside the pannetone.

Basically you soak your dried fruit (mixed fruit, cherries, etc) in whatever spirits/liquer (brandy always tastes christmassy but cointreau goes with the citrussy taste of the pannetone well). Then you part-melt a tub of good quality vanilla icecream, stir through your dried, soaked fruit, some toasted flaked almonds, etc. You can add some cream to make it richer but some years I've left it out. Hollow out the pannetone by cutting an inch of the base off first, then tip it upside down hollow out the inside using a sharp knife. Pour the icecream mixture back in, put the base back on, wrap the whole thing in alfoil, and refreeze. Slice and serve with chocolate sauce. YUM

I also have another recipe which makes a really decadent citrussy trifle, but i always have issues finding the recipe...you could google panettone and trifle or panettone and pudding and see what you get.

[Asparagus and Lemons]

As katie rabbit said.. bread & butter pudding.. BUT with chocolate! It is delicious!! Just use a normal Bread & butter recipe but use the Panettone instead of bread ( slice it nice and thick) and chuck in about 250g of your favourite chocolate. This is my FAVOURITE dessert! great for easter too!

[AnyDream]

I agree re the bread & butter pudding - but to make it more christmassy you can throw in white chocolate and raspberries instead. YUM

[Astrid]

You can always cheat and get one of the flavoured ones. The Tiramisu one is just gorgeous, I prefer it over the Baci one.

Gonna sulk now, as it is hard to get Panettones down here

[Asparagus and Lemons]

Astrid, Last year I found that 'chocolate passion' seemed to have them in victoria, that shop seems to be at most big shopping centres,
And I've made tiramisu with it before too! oh I gotta get me some more of it.. mmmm..

[Astrid]

I used to get them all the time in Melbourne, but here is a lot more rural and not hugely multicultural so the big supermarkets don't tend to bring them in. There is also only one speciality deli, which I am hoping will have them.

[AnyDream]

If you have an Aldi near you, they often get them in at the very beginning of their Christmas stock, keep an eye on the catalogues.

[Astrid]

ooh, forgot about Aldi - thanks for that. They get in a lot of the European Christmas foods.

[Caz1971]

oh yr tips sound good thanks, has anyone made an actual panatonne from scratch? I wish this cake was available all yr round...