Panettone

A first attempt at an Italian Christmas bread. Still not as good as my father's. This recipe has weird measurements because it's scaled down...

Ingredients

• 1 28oz tomato can, cleaned and empty.
  
• 4/3c flour
  
• 1/3c raisins (preferably a mixture of dark and light)
  
• 1.5tsp yeast
  
• 1/6c lukewarm water plus a little
  
• 1/3 stick of butter
  
• 1 egg
  
• a little less than 2tbsp sugar (1/9c, to be exact)
  
• 1/3tsp salt
  
• 1/3tsp vanilla (YOU figure out how to measure this)
  
• 1/2tsp anise seed
  
• zest of one orange
  

Combine everything in a bowl. Stir together with a spatula and add a little flour until the consistency is a really sticky dough (still a little wet). Force it into the WELL GREASED tomato can and set to rise for about 1.5 hours. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes. Take it out and let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes, then invert the can to turn it out. Usually served in wedges, but I like just the round slices you get by doing it cross-wise.

Thoughts: Claire was skeptical but she really liked it. I didn't have candied citron (which is normally an ingredient) and I used only dark raisins. Also could have used some anise extract. Generally it was quite good. It comes out KIND OF like Swedish limpa bread, but much lighter. We're probably going to try this recipe again eventually, but not until I finish the panettone my father made for me when I was last in Janesville.

Disaster Index: 2/10 - getting there. Worth repeating.