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Panettone vs. Pandoro – A quintessentially Italian quandary
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Never has a dilemma been so sweet, so soft and so scrumptious. Every year between Christmas and New Year’s, Italy is torn in two, between those who find panettone the superior holiday treat and those who prefer pandoro.
Two passionate teams dueling it out at a beautifully laid festive table. The Grand Hotel Tremezzo and its chef Osvaldo Presazzi, a student of the great Gualtiero Marchesi, have decided to throw their hat in the ring and offer a third way, if you will, featuring flavor combinations that take these unique cakes to the next level. With that comes yet another dilemma – this time between zabaglione and pistachio.
“Every year between Christmas and New Year’s, Italy is torn in two, between those who find panettone the superior holiday treat and those who prefer pandoro. ”
Panettone alla crema di zabaione
Before it became the quintessentially Italian holiday treat, panettone was a signature dessert at the 15th-century court of Ludovico il Moro, the Duke of Milan. Legend has it that one fateful night the chef burned the dessert for an all-important pre-Christmas banquet. As panic broke out in the kitchen, a young kitchen apprentice named Toni grabbed the yeast dough proofing for the Christmas feast, kneaded it with eggs, flour, sugar, raisins and citrus peel, and popped it in the oven. The guests were so taken with this fragrant, fluffy pastry that they all cheered for the newly-christened “Pan di Toni”. And since that day, panettone has become one of Italy’s most treasured Christmas traditions.
Ingredients for the custard sauce:
5 egg yolks
2 tablespoons Marsala
1/2 cup (40g) superfine sugar
Method:
Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, adding the Marsala gradually to the bowl, and then cook the mixture in a bain-marie or double boiler until it becomes thick and frothy. Pour the sauce over each slice or use the custard for creative plating.
Pandoro alla crema di pistacchio
For the tale of pandoro, we travel to the Most Serene Republic of Venice during the same 15th century. The wonderful dessert in this version takes its name from a local custom, in which aristocrats of the day were known to decorate festive foods with ultra-thin leaves of real gold. One of these delicacies just happened to be “pan de oro”. It was a Veronese pastry chef by the name of Domenico Melegatti who brought the tradition back into vogue in 1894 when he filed an industrial patent for his version of pandoro that has since won acclaim for its light, airy texture. Fun fact: Melegatti commissioned one of the most famous artists in his native Verona, Angelo Dell’Oca Bianca of the Verismo school of painting, to create an original mold for his new cake. And the artist, inspired by the festive lights of Christmas, created the star shape we all know and love.
Ingredients for the sauce:
1½ cups (250g) pistachios
¾ cup (180g) sugar
3 tablespoons (40g) butter
½ cup (120ml) milk
6.2 oz (180g) white chocolate
Method:
Blanch the pistachios in boiling water for about 15 minutes. While they boil, melt the chocolate and butter with the milk and sugar in a bain marie or double boiler, stirring gently with a wooden spoon. Drain the pistachios, remove the skins and chop them finely. Mix the nuts into the chocolate mixture and whisk until you reach a smooth consistency. Pour the sauce over each slice or use the custard for creative plating.
