I’ll start out by saying that Panettone is my favorite, and I know how to make it – both the traditional method, and in a bread machine. The machine recipe is a bit dense, but delicious anyway. I like this bread toasted and buttered with coffee for breakfast, and maybe with a bit of honey. I use whatever dried fruit that I have on hand – usually dried cherries, apricots and golden raisins. I most often use orange oil, but sometimes I use grated orange peel for flavoring. I also add anise seed.

Here is a traditional recipe from King Arthur flour. I have also used a recipe that is for the bread machine, but only mixed and kneaded in the machine. The second rise and baking are done in a traditional way.

Here is a Canadian holiday treat from the 1930’s, if you’d like to try something different:

Candy Fruit Cake is a bit rich, but good. It’s made with:

1/2 cup stoned and chopped dates
4 tablespoons shredded citron
4 tablespoons each candied lemon and orange peels
½ cup pecan nut meats
½ cup Brazil nut meats
1 tablespoon orange juice
2 ounces dipping chocolate
powdered sugar

Put nuts and fruit through food chopper. Mix thoroughly with orange juice. Melt chocolate over hot water and stir into first mixture. Work with a fork until perfectly blended. Pack in a buttered pan. When firm cut in squares and roll in powdered sugar.

This is a recipe from King Arthur Flour that I have made, and it’s good! Just make sure you have a big enough pan and don’t try to make it in the toaster oven like I did, because it’s not big enough when the casserole expands! Fortunately, my regular oven is now back in operation. This casserole is good for Thanksgiving or Christmas breakfast or brunch. It is convenient because it is prepared the night before and all you have to do is bake it and serve. It is suitable for a vegetarian diner, although you could add a layer of cooked breakfast sausage between the bread and the apples, as suggested by King Arthur.

Apple French Toast Bake

What will you be making during the coming season?