by C. Devlin » Thu Dec 18, 2008 1:14 am
Technically, though, isn't it a bread?... In the same sort of Christmas breads genre as the Norwegian Julekake, the German or Dutch stollen, or the Austrian Kugelhopf (which is called cake but more bread-like)? Even though they're all so similar, I prefer the Julekake, of the Christmas breads with fruit, or anyway the version I grew up with, which was less sweet. But that may just have everything to do with growing up with Norwegian rather than Italian Christmas goodies.
But I think my favorite Italian Christmas bread is pandoro. I love the way the whole thing can be peeled away in lovely gauzy strands. And I love the flavor (without the boat load of powdered sugar which always seemed way over the top to me, and ditto the stollen). We used to get pandoro and panettone from Italy every year for Christmas (until the parent office decided they were spending a fortune and dropped the whole thing), and Gary's invariably go for the panettone and I'd devour and entire pandoro. Oh and the buccellato which I love but can eat only in small helpings, it's so rich.
