Panettone di Natale

by Febrina Picone Malloy

Italian Christmas fruitcake, lighter than American-style fruitcakes. Can be made in a breadmaker on the dough setting.

Ingredients:
1 pkg dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm milk (scalded, then cooled)
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 TB sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup real butter
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1 tsp salt
4 cups flour
1/2 cup candied grapefruit or lemon or orange peel, or a combination, finely cut
1/2 cup each green and red candied cherries, sliced
1/2 cup chopped lightly toasted almonds
1/2 cup raisins (optional or substitute)
1/2 cup golden raisins (optional or substitute)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional or substitute)
1 cup confectioners sugar
1-2 TB milk
1/4 tsp vanilla
halved cherries and slivered almonds for decoration

Directions:
1. Dissolve the yeast in warm water in a large bowl.
2. Stir in all dough ingredients, except two cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Add enough of the remaining flour to make the dough easy to handle.
3. Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
4. Divide the dough in half, and add the fruit mix to one half.
5. Place each half in a greased bowl. Turn greased side up. Cover both bowls with plastic wrap or with warm, moist towels, and let rise until double, about 1 1/2 hours.
6. Pat both out into rectangles, but make the fruited one smaller. Place the fruit half on top of the plain half and roll up like jelly roll.
7. Place the dough in a baking pan, cover, and let rise again until double.
8. Make sure no fruit and nuts poke out on top (they’ll burn).
9. Preheat the oven to 350°, and bake for about 40 minutes.
10. Top with glaze while warm, not hot; decorate with halved cherries and almonds.