PANETTONE

In my home, we always spaced out the food for Christmas across the Advent Season, literally starting around December 18^th till January 3^rd.  It can be a bit earlier or a day or two later depending on the day the date falls and the ravenousness of everyone else as well as guests.  This way we can enjoy and pace our calorie count.  We do want to look trim and fit at those parties.

Actually as early as the first week of December we had stollen.  Although stollen can last for weeks – we couldn’t wait as it was fresh off the plane from Germany.  A week later we had the traditional dense North American fruitcake with marzipan icing.

On December 27^th, we had Panettone.  It was 50% off on sale, direct from Italy, so how can we resist.  I bought two brands among so many because of their quality packaging.  The second one will be for New Year’s Eve.
 
In Italian "panetto" mean a small loaf cake and with the suffix "-one" it changes the meaning to "large cake".   Tall (mine was about 5 inches in height – I’ve seen taller) and puffy, like a cupola or a dome or the ecclesiastical hat Pane Tone (another etymology), the shape and height of the panettone is achieved by its distinctive paper band or pirottino which hampers the dough from spreading itself out, but to go up.  This spongy humongous bread-cake originally from Milan is usually served during Christmas and New Year in Italy. 

The Italian Ministry of Industry is regulating the use of the terminology "panettone". It may be used only by bakers who meet certain standards, similar to the French wine regions that have exclusive use of certain names, such as Champagne. The several brands that qualify as authentic panettone, according to the Commission, include Alemagna-Motta, Perugina, Bauli, Flamigni, Le Tre Marie, Maina Panettoni and Valentino. What I got was a Bellino brand Panettone with Zabaione Cream (CAD$10.00 at 50% off).  

The double rising of natural yeasts and the addition of enzymes (how? – email me) insures panettone's long shelf-life - the reason we can enjoy a cake made months ago for several weeks more (mine says till March 2016).  

The double rising allows more yeasts to gobble up sugar - the food source of bacteria. The enzymes specifically amylase breaks down the starch - a staling agent - into sugar which in turn is eaten up by the yeasts.  Some of the enzymes survive baking and continue acting while the bread is in the store but by then the gluten structure has tightened meaning less air holes and less oxygen for new bacteria.  Fascinating ...

Lemon Cream Cheese Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze

I was googling another recipe, I can’t recall now, but I chanced upon a Betty Crocker page.

It featured a spectacular bundt cake with a name so ensnaring I had to do it.  The reviews were all positive.  I am a fan of lemon squares.  Plus I love baking a bundt with its various molds.  The bundt look always catches my eye.

So Christmas Day with its sweetness overload was a great time to counterbalance via Lemon Cream Cheese Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze

I followed the ingredients and steps to a T (with an electronic food scale for the Philadelphia Classic Cream Cheese).  The cake came out somewhat dense and lightly lemony.  

Everyone loved it – vanished in a blink – but my palate was a bit disappointed.  Too high an expectation?  I was looking for that knock-me-down combo of lemon, cream cheese and milk (tart, moist, melty), but it proved to be a 12-rounder inspite of the lemon glaze.

BTW, one should reduce by a cup the powdered sugar for the glaze.  And perhaps, one should still add a bit of oil to the batter as the cake mix dictates but was omitted in the bundt recipe.

For the Cake

1          box Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ yellow cake mix

1          cup milk

1          package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened

2          tablespoons grated lemon peel (from 2 large lemons)

1/4       cup lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)

3          eggs 

For the Glaze

2          cups powdered sugar

2          tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 large lemon) 

Directions

• Heat oven to 325°F. Generously spray 10- or 12-cup fluted tube cake pan.
• In large bowl, beat Cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl constantly. Increase speed to medium; beat 2 minutes. Pour into pan.
• Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes; turn upside down onto cooling rack or heatproof serving plate, and remove pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Place cake on serving plate. In medium bowl, beat powdered sugar and lemon juice, a little at a time, using whisk until thick glaze forms. (You may not need all the juice.) Pour evenly over cake. Store cake loosely covered.

The Best Poppy Seed Rolls

Last December 12, 2015, it was pouring heavily.  However, I still decided to drive the 13 miles to New Westminster for the 15th Annual Christmas Bake and Craft Sale at the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church - one of few active Slovak parishes in Canada.   I got there around 1 pm and by that time most of the baked good ones were gone.  I told myself I should have been there earlier – well next year.  

I paid $6.00 for “gulas” – an Eastern European soup/stew (often spelled in English as “goulash”).  When I had to turn in my empty bowl, I noticed the Slovakian ladies were wrapping in clear cellophane what looked like mini-croissants.   I was told they were “poppy seed rolls” – not the “roll” I am familiar with - the standard foot and a half long tubes you see in a bakery.

A sweet yeast bread with a sweet filling of poppy seed, 

Makové rožky, 

 is a Christmas dessert in parts of Central Europe and Eastern Europe.  Another filling preferred by other families is a paste of minced walnuts, hence a walnut roll.  

The 30ish lady who made the poppy seed rolls, Mirka, just walked in a few minutes ago.  The poppy seed roll-etes were baked half-an-hour ago and still warm.  At $5.50 for 7 pieces, I got two sets. Mirka said she prefers making small rolls rather than tubes because the dough comes out more evenly baked.  She said the longer the roll, the thicker the enveloping dough which has to be more brown (crunchier) on the outside to be fully done. 

Still raining, I hurriedly strutted back to my car.  Once ensconced inside, I grab one of the poppy seed rolls and my eyes opened wide. These were the Best poppy seed rolls I’ve ever had.    There was something in the taste of the melt-in-your-mouth dough in itself that stood out.  I finished one pack of  seven to my dietary chagrin.  I rushed back to the church hall.  Only one package of the poppy rolls was left (out of 7).  Thank you Lord!  

Then, I realized it was fortuitous I came in later to the church sale.   If I had been there earlier, I would have left sooner, and missed Mirka’s creations.

Mirka was kind enough to share me the recipe.  Here is her e-mail:

Hello Joseph,

I would like to give you recipe but it is hard for me to explain step by step how to make them. You also need to have mill for poppy seeds. 

Here is recipe for dough:

1 kg flour

500ml milk

4g fresh yeast

3 eggs

300ml oil

1 spoon of baking powder

1 tee spoon of salt

4 spoons of sugar

This is the kind of dough you need to let yeast grow first. I am not sure if you have experience of using fresh yeast.

Ground poppy seeds mix with hot milk with lots of regular sugar . Filling must thick. Not too much milk!!!  Poppies are bitter, you need really lots of sugar. Let sugar desolve in hot milk. If you need to add more sugar in filling, then use icing sugar. Because sugar needs to be desolved . 

Mirka

Fresh Yeast?  I think that was it together with the proportion of the other ingredients and the filling which made Mirka’s poppy seed rolls outstanding.  Although, upon doing my online research, many home bakers find no noticeable difference in flavor between fresh and instant dry yeast.  

There was an online comment that is worth investigating:

“Apparently those that are sensitive to wheat and gluten will find that making bread with fresh yeast will often fix the problem. It has to do with the long rising stage. Many people experience bloating, discomfort or irritable bowel symptoms with bread made the fast way with dry yeast - which doesn't break down the irritants in wheat flour. Saw this on a Catalyst science progam recently.”

I wish I can see in person how Mirka does the poppy seed rolls - someday. 

If you want to order, contact Mirka at  604 930 0074 or through her husband’s  Vladimir Plavak e-mail address: vlapla@shaw.ca