Hide the scale and bring out the elastic-waist pants, it’s Christmas time, and indeed, food and the holidays do go hand-in-hand!

For many, baking is a popular Christmas activity, from the traditional British Christmas Cake laden with fruit and nuts to the American Pumpkin Pie – baking is a tradition celebrated all over the world.

This year, why not have yourself a deliciously sweet Christmas and swap the typical Australian Pavlova dessert for a festive dessert from another culture!

In Italy, a traditional Christmas is celebrated with an Italian Christmas bread for dessert, called a panettone. The origins of this cake date all the way back to the Roman Empire, with ancient Romans sweetening a type of leavened cake with honey!

However, it wasn’t until the early 20^th century that panettone became widely adopted by Italians as their Christmas bread. This was due to large-scale production by two rival bakers – Angelo Motta and Gioacchino Alemagna. As a result of the intense competition, by the end of World War II, panettone was inexpensive enough for anyone and quickly became the country’s leading Christmas sweet!

If you want to introduce this sweet, fragrant Italian bread to your festive tradition, why not try out the recipe below from Allrecipes. If you love Italy and Italian food and are eager to learn more, why not check out Bright Learnings course – Italian Langauge through the Love of Food. The course runs over 4 sessions on
Tuesday 5, 12, 19, & 26 February 2013 from 6pm to 8.30pm. For full details, click here.

Panettone Recipe

Yields One Loaf.

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 
2 eggs
• 
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 
1/4 cup dried currants
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted (optional)

Method

1. In a medium bowl, combine yeast, water and sugar. Cover and let stand 10 minutes, or until foamy. Add eggs, yogurt, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Mix well. Stir in flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough forms into a manageable ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary, until dough is soft and pliable, but not sticky. (May need up to 5 cups flour.) Place dough in a large, lightly pan-sprayed bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C (350 degrees F) and spray a round 8-inch cake pan with non-stick spray. In a small bowl, toss dried fruit with confectioners’ sugar. Punch down dough in bowl, transfer to floured surface, and knead in the fruit.
3. Form dough into a ball, place in prepared cake pan, cover loosely with dish towel, and let rise 30 minutes. (Loaf will rise above the pan sides.) Brush with melted butter, if desired. Bake for 45 minutes, or until loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 10 wedges. Enjoy

In this most recent catchup we spoke to Diana who is running the Italian Language through the Love of Food course.

Diana has a strong Italian heritage, as both her parents were born and raised in Italy, migrating to Australia in the 1950s. Although Diana was born in Australia, she grew up in a vibrant Italian community, hearing and speaking the language fluently. So when you speak to Diana, it is no wander that she so vividly passionate about Italy and all it has to offer.

Q: What do you love most about Italy?
A: The beauty of the landscape, the subtle colours of the walled historic towns and obviously, the diversity of its mouthwatering food.

Q: What Italian meal do you love to cook for your friends and family?
A: I love experimenting with different sauces for pastas.  In winter, I really enjoy making hearty soups.

Q: As a seasoned language teacher, what is the one tip you would pass onto students interesting in learning a language? 
A: [Once you have a bit of vocabulary] practice reading Italian aloud every day.  It not only reinforces what you have learned, it also allows you to hear your own voice and correct your pronunciation.

Q: What part of the Italian through the love of food course are you looking forward to mostly? 
A: The satisfaction of witnessing people progress with the language, even after the first lesson.  I also really am looking forward to sharing my knowledge of the food of the various areas of Italy.

The Italian Language through the Love of Food course will be running as 5 week course starting on the 9th of February. There are currently a just a few places left to join in this amazing course.

When: Thursday Feb 9, Feb 16, Feb 23, Mar 1, Mar 8 2012 | 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Where:  16th on Park, Park Road, Milton
More Information & Booking:  www.brightlearning.com.au

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UPDATE:
This course will be running again in 2013 on Mon 18, 25 Feb & 4,11 Mar, 6pm to 8.30pm. Full details and booking info can be found on the Bright Learning Website.