panettone french toast with orange spiced whipped cream
The ultimate Christmas morning breakfast for everyone in the family.
Panettone is one of those holiday traditions that I absolutely love. I didn’t know anything about the Italian cake until I lived in Italy in college.
I was SO lucky to be in Rome in December, as the streets filled with decorations and so much joy it felt like everyone was going to burst into song every time I stepped outside. I would walk out my door and a block away there would be a random parade to celebrate the season.
At the beginning of December, I noticed many people carrying boxes of what looked like cake as I made my way to the grocery store. Those same boxes were stacked high in the store, with almost every person grabbing one as they passed by.
Of course, I had to try it.
If you haven’t had panettone before, it is a type of sweet bread-y cake filled with sultana raisins and other candied fruits. When you slice into it, the citrus aroma hits your nose and it just smells like the holiday season.
It is NOT like the traditional fruitcake. Instead the texture is like soft pillowy cloud, which makes it ideal for using to make French toast. The texture kind of reminds me of challah in a way, which is my favorite bread to use to make French toast.
I feel like this is the ultimate Christmas breakfast or brunch. The scent of the spiced cake cooking on the stove fills the house. When topped with a big dollop of orange spiced whipped cream, you get citrus, warming spices, and candied fruit flooding your tongue with flavor.
