Panettone with Creme Anglaise (Custard Sauce)

I know that there are scrumptuous ready made Panettone, but there are also ready made Christmas cakes and puddings and we still enjoy making our own.  Try this for Christmas dessert for a lighter finish to traditional puddings.  Make sure to double the portion for Creme Anglaise as it will disappear! Mixture makes 3 9inch cakes or 36 small muffin size for an individual portion!

1kg Plain Flour

80g Sugar

80g Butter 

2tsp Salt

2 eggs

50g Fresh Yeast or 18g dried

150g Candied Fruit

200g Sultana

2 tbsp Brandy

3 tbspDried Milk Powder

400ml luke warm Water

1 tsp Grated Orange Rind

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Ground Cloves

1 extra egg for egg wash

Glaze

1 tbsp Marmalade

1tbsp Brandy

1tbsp Maple Syrup

Creme Anglaise

500ml Milk

1 vanilla pod 

3 Egg Yolks

2 tbsp Sugar

Crumble yeast in a small bowl, add 1/4 of water and whisk to melt.  Cover with cling film and set aside. Heat a small casserole add, brandy, sultana, candied fruit, grated orange rind, cinnamon and ground cloves.  Stir well till all fruit is heated throgh and mixture boils. Turn off immediately then add butter.  Stir and cover.

In a food mixer fitted with hook attachment, add sifted flour, Salt, Sugar and eggs.  Add milk powder to remaining water and add to flour mixture.  Add yeast mixture and turn speed to minimum and mix for 10 minutes. Lift hook and scrape dough from hook.  Add fruit mixture to dough and lower hook again and knead for further 5 minutes till all fruit has been evenly incorporated into the dough.  Turn machine off lift hook, cover with clean cloth and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour till mixture doubles in size.  Lower back the hook and knead for another 5 minutes.  Divide mixture into three equal portions of approx 500g each and put in 9inch Paper cases or lined baking pans. ( I make small ones with 1 tbsp mixture into muffin cases).  Put cakes in the oven with light on (no heat) and let them rise for 1.5hours.  Brush with beaten egg.  Turn oven on to 200c and bake panettone for approx 30 minutes till top is rich golden and sounds hollow when tapped from the bottom.  Heat Marmalade, brandy and maple syrup and brush cakes when still hot to get a shiny top. Cakes can be frozen when cold and thawed when needed.

 

Creme Anglaise

Split vanilla pod in two and scrape seeds.  Add seeds and pod to milk and heat till it nearly boils, meanwhile beat egg yolks and sugar in a glass bowl till pale and fluffy. Slowly add boiled milk to yolk mixture and stir well.  Turn mixture to pan and stir on low heat till mixture thickens to cover the back of a spoon.  Do not boil mixture as it curdles.  Mixture should resemble gravy sauce texture not thick paint!