The Old Genova Low Pandolce, in dialect Pandùçe is the typical Christmas dessert from Genoa, but please, don’t call it panettone! Actually, the real Genovese Pandolce is the one with brewer’s or sourdough yeast, then, in the 50s, due to the need for quicker preparation, the appellation “ancient” was given to the recipe without brewer’s yeast. In ancient tradition, on Christmas Day, the Pandolce was cut with a laurel branch, a symbol of luck and well-being, and it was also baked with a laurel leaf placed on top. In some recipes, you find hazelnuts, but they are not part of the traditional pandolce ingredients. A memory of tradition? Grandma Agnese from San Martino di Struppa would save a slice of Pandùçe to share amongst 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: 8 People
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Liguria
- Seasonality: Christmas
- Energy 538.77 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 79.53 (g) of which sugars 35.54 (g)
- Proteins 8.51 (g)
- Fat 23.43 (g) of which saturated 8.15 (g)of which unsaturated 13.91 (g)
- Fibers 3.93 (g)
- Sodium 85.71 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 126 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 (save 1 tbsp for the work surface)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 7 tbsp butter
- 1 egg (medium)
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp lemon zest (grated)
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp fennel seeds (crushed if preferred)
- 1 cup raisins
- 2 tbsp Marsala wine (for soaking the raisins)
- 1/2 cup candied orange peel (cubed)
- 1/2 cup candied citron peel (cubed)
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1 tsp orange blossom water (traditional)
- 3/4 cup toasted hazelnuts (if desired, I didn't use them)
Tools
- 1 Food Scale
- 1 Pastry Board
- 2 Bowls
- Parchment Paper
Steps
Preheat the static oven to 350°F
Pour the candied fruits, pine nuts, crushed fennel seeds, and raisins previously soaked in Marsala, squeezed, and dried into a bowl. Hazelnuts are not present in traditional pandolce, but if you like them, add them; I didn’t in this one. Mix and flour with one tablespoon of flour taken from the 2 1/2 cups. In another bowl, mix the sugar with the softened butter and add the whole egg plus the yolk.
Add the grated lemon zest, orange blossom water (I don’t like it, so I add just a little), salt, mix, and combine everything together. Sift the flour with the baking powder on the pastry board and pour the mixture in the center.
Quickly knead and form a ball, spreading the base with 1 tbsp of flour. Place a sheet of parchment paper on the baking sheet, lay the pandolce on it, and flatten it slightly with your hands until it’s about 2 inches high. With a knife or spatula, imprint a grid or triangle design on the surface. Bake in a preheated static oven at 350°F and cook for 40–45 minutes, checking. Turn off the oven and leave the door slightly open for 5 minutes. Remove the Old Genova Low Pandolce and let it cool on a rack to dissipate moisture. The Pandolce is much better the next day.
Storage
The Old Genova Low Pandolce can be prepared a few days before Christmas and once cold and well-dried, it should be stored in a bag.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What if you don’t like candied fruit?
You can use more raisins and pine nuts or chocolate chips, walnuts, hazelnuts.
Should the pandolce be baked in a pan?
No, it should be baked directly on the baking tray
