Description

This is not your grandma's fruit cake that no one ever eats. Panettone is a sweet bread originally from Italy. Now it is one of the most important holiday traditions in South America. It’s filled with dried fruits and nuts and baked in round decorative

Ingredients

• Sponge:
• 2 1/4 c. flour, divided
• 2/3 c. water
• 2 T. apricot jam
• 1 T. instant yeast, divided
• Dough:
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 12 T. softened butter, divided
• 6 egg yolks, divided
• 1 t. salt
• 2 t. good quality vanilla
• 3/4 t. orange extract
• 3/4 t. lemon extract
• 2 T. honey
• 1/2 c. dried cherries, finely chopped
• 1/2 c. golden raisins, finely chopped
• 1/2 c. pecans, finely chopped
• Icing: optional
• 2 T. melted butter
• 1 c. powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 1-2 T. milk

Steps

1. Make the sponge:
2. Place 1 1/2 c. flour, water, apricot jam, and 1 t. yeast in a small bowl; whisk together. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; set in a warm place to rest for 3 hours.
3. Make the dough: