Romanian Panettone with Cocoa and Sour Cherries: Soft and Delicious
The Romanian panettone with cocoa and sour cherries is an irresistible holiday dessert, perfect for Christmas or special occasions. Soft and fragrant, it combines the softness of classic panettone with the intense taste of cocoa and the tart sweetness of sour cherries, enriched with crunchy walnuts and a delicate aroma of rum and vanilla.
Thanks to a soft starter dough and a rich dough full of butter and egg yolks, the result is a tall, soft, and fragrant dessert, ideal for sharing with friends and family. A true star of the Christmas table, to be enjoyed in slices or to accompany a cup of hot chocolate.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 10/20
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas, Easter
Ingredients
for 2 panettoni
- 0.88 oz fresh brewer's yeast
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup Manitoba flour
- 3/8 cup milk
- 6 1/3 cups Manitoba flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 7/8 cup milk
- 6 egg yolks
- 3/8 cup butter
- rum flavor
- The starter dough
- vanilla
- 1 lb 5 oz sour cherries
- 3/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 2/3 cups walnuts
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 egg whites
- rum flavor
Steps
For the preparation of the Romanian Panettone with Cocoa and Sour Cherries: Soft and Delicious Recipe watch the video HERE.
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Prepare the starter dough:
In a bowl, put the fresh yeast, lukewarm milk, and sugar and mix.
Add the flour and mix until you obtain a homogeneous dough.
Cover and let it rise for about 30 minutes until the starter dough doubles in volume.
Prepare the dough
In a large bowl, put the flour and sugar.
Add the starter dough.
Separate the yolks from the whites and incorporate the yolks into the dough.
Pour in the milk and begin kneading.
Add the rum and vanilla flavors.
Knead for about 10 minutes, then add the butter little by little, making sure to incorporate it completely.
Transfer the dough onto a work surface, form a ball, and put it in a tall container
Cover and let it rise until it doubles in volume.
Prepare the filling:
In a saucepan, cook the sour cherries with the sugar for about 10 minutes and let them cool.
In a bowl, mix the chopped walnuts, cocoa, sugar, rum flavor, and egg whites until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
Form the panettoni:
Slightly oil the parchment paper and prepare the dough.
Divide the dough into two parts (for two panettoni).
Take the first half and divide it again into two pieces.
Roll out one piece at a time, spread about a quarter of the filling, add a few sour cherries
roll it up.
Seal the ends, then roll out the second piece and proceed in the same way.
Braid the two obtained rolls and form the panettone.
Transfer to a parchment-lined mold, cover, and let it rise until doubled.
Repeat the same process with the other half of the dough.
Brush the surface with yolk and milk.
Bake in a preheated oven at 356°F for about 1 hour, until golden.
Let it cool completely before decorating.
Decoration:
Cover with melted chocolate.
Sprinkle with hazelnut crumbs.
Enjoy your meal!
Tips and Storage
Tips:
For a softer panettone, make sure the starter dough doubles completely before adding it to the main dough.
You can add some soaked raisins or dark chocolate to the filling for a more indulgent variant.
During baking, if the surface browns too much, cover it with parchment paper.
To further flavor the panettone, add a few drops of rum flavor to the filling as well.
Storage:
Store the panettone at room temperature, in a bag or airtight container, for 3-4 days, maintaining its softness.
You can freeze it already sliced: just thaw at room temperature before enjoying it.
Avoid cutting it right out of the oven: resting allows the flavor and texture to develop to the best.
