Christmas just isn't complete without our Panettone, baked exclusively for us in Umbria. While the traditional recipe calls for oranges and raisins, our sweet bread has candied citron and lime for a bright, festive twist. The bread itself is eggy and light, and is wonderful when toasted and spread with butter, or used for French toast.

Where did Panettone come from?
Here at Balducci's, our panettone has been a tradition as long as we can remember, but the recipe itself has quite a long history-and several interesting legends attached to it. What we know for sure is that the candied bread as we know it originated in Milan, Italy, in the fifteenth century. The actual events behind its creation, however, are not known. One story traces panettone back to Lombardy and pagan customs of the eleventh century. Served to family during Christmas dinner, the panettone represented family bonds. Another story credits panettone to an enterprising chef's apprentice named Toni who made the dessert for the Duke Ludovico il Moro. The word panettone, then, means "pan di Toni"--"the bread of Toni."

While we may never know exactly where it comes from, one thing is for certain: our panettone is only around for the holiday season, and it's so scrumptious that it flies off our shelves. So don't wait: stop into the store and buy one for your holiday table. They also make wonderful gifts for family and friends. Just like the holidays, our panettone was meant to be shared.