The Old Genoa Low Pandolce, in dialect Pandùçe is the typical Genoese Christmas cake, but please, don’t call it panettone! Actually, the true Genoese Pandolce is the one made with yeast or sourdough, prepared the night before and left to rise under blankets next to the bed warmer (that’s what housewives used to do). In the 50s, due to the need for a quicker preparation, the title of “ancient” was given to the recipe without brewer’s yeast. In ancient tradition, on Christmas Day, the Pandolce was cut with a bay leaf twig, symbol of luck and prosperity, and was also baked with a bay leaf on top. Some recipes include hazelnuts, but they are not part of the traditional pandolce ingredients. A personal memory of tradition? Grandma Agnese from San Martino di Struppa would keep a slice of Pandùçe aside to share it with everyone on St. Blaise’s Day, protector of the throat, on February 3rd.
Recipe from 06/11/2016 updated
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 1 pandolce of 2.2 lbs for 10 people
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Liguria
- Seasonality: Christmas
- Energy 431.02 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 63.63 (g) of which sugars 28.43 (g)
- Proteins 6.81 (g)
- Fat 18.74 (g) of which saturated 6.52 (g)of which unsaturated 11.13 (g)
- Fibers 3.14 (g)
- Sodium 68.57 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 4 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for 1 Pandolce of 2.2 lbs
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (keep 1 tbsp for the pastry board)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 egg (medium)
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp lemon zest (grated)
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- 1 tsp fennel seeds (chopped if preferred)
- 1 cup raisins
- 2 tbsp Marsala wine (to soak the raisins)
- 1/2 cup candied orange peel (cubed)
- 1/2 cup candied citron (cubed)
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1 tsp orange blossom water (traditional)
- 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts (if liked, I didn't use them)
Tools
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Pastry board
- 2 Bowls
- Baking paper
Steps
Preheat the oven to 347 degrees Fahrenheit
Pour the candied fruits, pine nuts, chopped fennel, and raisins previously soaked and drained from the Marsala into a bowl. Hazelnuts are not traditional in pandolce, but if you like them, add them; I didn’t in this recipe. Mix and flour with a tablespoon of flour taken from the 2 1/2 cups. In another bowl, mix the sugar with softened butter and add the whole egg plus the yolk.
Add the grated lemon zest, orange blossom water (I don’t like it much, so I use very little), salt, mix, and combine everything. Sift the flour with the baking powder on the pastry board and pour the mixture in the center.
Quickly knead and form a ball, sprinkle the base with the 1 tbsp of flour. Place a sheet of baking paper on the baking tray, place the pandolce, flatten it slightly with your hands until it is 2 inches high. Use a knife or spatula to make a lattice or triangle pattern on the surface. Bake in a preheated static oven at 347 Fahrenheit and cook for 45 minutes, keeping an eye on it. Turn off the oven and leave the door ajar for 5 minutes. Remove the Old Genoa Low Pandolce and let it cool on a rack to let moisture escape. The Pandolce tastes even better the next day.
Storage
The Old Genoa Low Pandolce can be prepared a few days before Christmas and once cool and dry, it should be stored in a bag.
FAQ
Don’t like candied fruits?
You can use more raisins and pine nuts or chocolate chips, walnuts, hazelnuts.
Does the pandolce need to be baked in a pan?
No, it is baked directly on the oven tray
