Panettone
The yeast dough for this Italian specialty is unusually runny, which makes the cake all the more moist and light. Mini-panettone can be baked successfully in muffin pans
Method:
1. Use a 22cm (8 1⁄2in) springform tin. Soak the sultanas in rum for about 20 minutes until they become plump. Melt the butter and allow it to cool.2. To make the dough, place flour and salt in a mixing bowl and pour butter around the edge. Heat milk until lukewarm, stir in yeast, sugar, vanilla essence, eggs and egg yolks and add mixture to the bowl. Knead dough for about 5 minutes with the dough hooks of an electric mixer or by hand.3. Work glacé cherries into the dough with the almonds, candied peel and drained sultanas. Cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place to rise for 404. Grease springform tin thickly with butter. Fold a double layer of baking (parchment) paper into a 30 x 35cm (12 x 14in) strip and make into a ring using a paper clip. Press ring around the inside of the tin to increase its height.5. Beat dough vigorously with a wooden spoon, cover and let it rise again for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F, gas mark 6). Place dough in the tin. Cover and leave to rise until it is almost the height of the baking paper ring.6. Bake panettone on the lowest oven shelf for 60–70 minutes until brown; brush with soft butter 2 or 3 times during cooking. After 30 minutes, check that the top is not browning too fast; cover with baking paper, if necessary. The cake is cooked when a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.7. Remove from the oven; leave to cool for 5 minutes. Place on a wire rack and loosen the side of the tin. Leave to cool completely. Remove paper and tin just before serving. Warm and strain the jam and brush over the cake. Combine icing sugar and lemon juice and spread lightly over the panettone.
