Most Italian foodies are acquainted with the well-known Christmas cake: panettone. This vacation deal with is so ubiquitous that it has overshadowed among the different conventional Italian Christmas desserts, corresponding to Anello di Monaco.
Anello di Monaco | Italian Christmas Cake Recipe
Anello di Monaco, hailing from town of Mantova (Mantua), is much like panettone in that it’s based mostly upon a buttery brioche dough which requires a number of proofing levels as a way to create an extremely mild, melt-in-your-mouth texture. The benefit to Anello di Monaco is that it may be made at dwelling in a single day (panettone takes days, with months of prep) and is comparatively fool-proof (panettone is notoriously finicky).
Retailer-bought panettone (outdoors of Italy) is often overpriced, low high quality, and infrequently stale. If you need a significantly better various that’s simple to make at dwelling, give Anello di Monaco a attempt!
A Be aware on Elements
For the sake of readability, we’ve separated the substances into the completely different levels of baking. We’ve additionally stored every little thing measured by weight. Though Anello di Monaco isn’t almost as delicate as panettone, the place one gram could make a giant distinction, it’s nonetheless finest to measure with precision when baking. Cups and tablespoons are something however exact.
Anello di Monaco does require some not-so-common substances, however fret not! There’s positively an choice obtainable to you.
All “gran lievitati” doughs (together with panettone) require a really excessive protein flour as a way to obtain the right consistency. Manitoba flour is the most effective, however isn’t all the time broadly obtainable in grocery shops. One simple resolution is to combine all-purpose flour with very important wheat gluten flour (obtainable in lots of baking aisles) till you obtain a protein content material of 14-16%. Don’t fear concerning the math, right here’s a user-friendly calculator the place you’ll be able to enter the protein ranges of the flour you utilize and it’ll inform you precisely the best way to combine the substances.
The opposite considerably uncommon ingredient is chestnut cream, the standard alternative for binding the scrumptious filling. It may be sourced on-line, or simply changed with clean peanut butter.
Watch the Pasta Grammar video:
ANELLO DI MONACO RECIPE
Makes: One 8-inch cake
Prepare dinner Time: 6 to 7 hours, largely unattended
To make the yeast starter, you will want:
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200 grams Manitoba flour (see above)
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7 grams energetic dry yeast
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20 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
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80 grams water
To make the “first dough,” you will want:
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100 grams Manitoba flour
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100 grams all-purpose flour
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20 grams complete milk
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1 giant egg
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2 egg yolks
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½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
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30 grams spiced rum
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90 grams unsalted butter, room temperature, plus additional for greasing
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40 grams granulated sugar
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3 grams salt
To make the “second dough,” you will want:
To make the stuffing, you will want:
To assemble the cake, you will want:
To make the glaze, you will want:
The Yeast Starter
In a bowl, completely combine the flour and yeast collectively. Add the butter and crumble it together with your fingers into the flour, till it’s roughly included. Step by step add the water whereas kneading it in by hand. As soon as the water in included, switch the bowl contents to a clear work floor and knead till a stable dough varieties. It doesn’t must be clean, simply well-mixed.
How the Yeast Starter Ought to Look
Place the dough again into the bowl and canopy with plastic wrap. Place the bowl within the oven (turned off) with the oven mild on. Let it rise for one hour.
The First Dough
Add the risen starter dough into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add each the Manitoba and all-purpose flours, and start mixing at a medium/low pace with a hook attachment. Mix the milk, egg, egg yolks, vanilla extract and rum, and add these into the blending bowl as effectively. Lastly, add the salt.
Whereas the dough mixes, mix the butter and sugar in a bowl and blend them along with a spoon.
When the dough within the mixer is well-incorporated and has develop into uniform, steadily add the butter one spoonful at a time. Guarantee that every butter portion is absolutely included earlier than including the subsequent. When the entire butter is included, improve the pace barely and let the dough knead till it is extremely clean and elastic (take a look at the video above to see what it ought to seem like).
Grease the within of a giant mixing bowl with a pat of butter. Take the combined dough in each arms and type it right into a clean ball by stretching the perimeters down and tucking them beneath (once more, take a look at the video above to see the approach).
Making a Clean Ball
Place the dough within the bowl, cowl it with plastic wrap, and let it rise within the oven with the sunshine on for one hour.
The Second Dough
Place the newly risen dough within the bowl of the mixer and add the all-purpose flour. Combine with a hook attachment at medium/low pace. Mix the milk and egg yolk, and pour these into the mixer.
Whereas the substances knead, mix the butter and sugar in a bowl and blend them collectively. As soon as the milk and egg are absolutely included into the dough, add the butter one spoonful at a time. Like earlier than, wait till every butter portion is included earlier than including the subsequent. When the entire butter is completely combined in, let the dough knead till it is extremely clean and elastic.
Kind the dough right into a clean ball, place it again within the mixing bowl, cowl with plastic wrap and let it rise within the oven with the sunshine on for one hour. Whilst you dough rises, you can also make…
The Stuffing
In a meals processor, mix the hazelnuts and almonds into a rough powder (not too positive, you need some texture). Place them into a big mixing bowl.
Add the sugar and water right into a small saucepan and warmth over medium warmth till the syrup reaches 240°F (115°C) on an on the spot thermometer. Pour the syrup into the chopped nuts, together with the rum and chestnut cream. Roughly combine them along with a spatula.
Mixing the Filling
Use a hand mixer to whip the egg whites till agency peaks varieties. Combine the egg whites into the nuts. Cowl the filling and put aside for later.
Assembling & Baking
Liberally grease the within of an 8-10 inch (20-25 cm) chiffon cake pan with butter. Additionally grease a big work floor or chopping board (you’ll desire a house about 20 inches or 50 cm sq.).
Place the bowl of dough the wrong way up and let the dough naturally fall out onto the work floor. Gently stretch the dough out together with your hand till it varieties a roughly 20 inch (50 cm) sq.. This shall be fairly simple because the dough shall be very fluffy and stretchy.
Unfold the filling alongside one fringe of the dough in a 4 inch (10cm) strip. Roll the dough up, beginning with this edge. It ought to seem like a giant burrito on the finish. Gently press the sides of the dough collectively to seal the filling inside.
Rolling the Dough
Fastidiously carry the dough rollup and place it contained in the chiffon cake pan. Press the 2 ends collectively to hide the seam. Cowl the pan in plastic wrap and let it rise within the oven with the sunshine off till the highest of the dough reaches the highest edges of the pan.
When the dough is risen, take away it from the oven and preheat the oven to 335°F (170°C). Bake the cake for 35 minutes or till deeply golden on high. Let the cake cool utterly earlier than eradicating from the chiffon pan and continuing to make…
The Glaze
Mix the powdered sugar, scorching water and lemon juice in a big bowl. Whisk collectively right into a thick glaze and evenly unfold this excessive of the cake. Let the glaze set earlier than serving.
Spreading the Glaze
The cake is finest eaten contemporary, however it can final for 3 to 4 days at room temperature, loosely coated in plastic wrap.
Buon appetito!
Wish to attempt making panettone at dwelling however don’t need all of the fuss? Fortunate for you, we’ve a recipe for a fast and straightforward “panettone” that is virtually pretty much as good as the actual factor!
