Most Italian foodies are acquainted with the well-known Christmas cake: panettone. This vacation deal with is so ubiquitous that it has overshadowed among the different conventional Italian Christmas muffins, resembling Anello di Monaco.
Anello di Monaco | Italian Christmas Cake Recipe
Anello di Monaco, hailing from the town of Mantova (Mantua), is much like panettone in that it’s based mostly upon a buttery brioche dough which requires a number of proofing phases so as to create an extremely gentle, melt-in-your-mouth texture. The benefit to Anello di Monaco is that it may be made at dwelling in a single day (panettone takes days, with months of prep) and is comparatively fool-proof (panettone is notoriously finicky).
Retailer-bought panettone (exterior of Italy) is often overpriced, low high quality, and sometimes stale. If you would like a a lot better different that’s straightforward to make at dwelling, give Anello di Monaco a attempt!
For the sake of readability, we’ve separated the components into the completely different phases of baking. We’ve additionally saved every little thing measured by weight. Though Anello di Monaco isn’t almost as delicate as panettone, the place one gram could make a giant distinction, it’s nonetheless greatest to measure with precision when baking. Cups and tablespoons are something however exact.
Anello di Monaco does require some not-so-common components, however fret not! There’s undoubtedly an choice obtainable to you.
All “gran lievitati” doughs (together with panettone) require a really excessive protein flour so as to obtain the right consistency. Manitoba flour is the very best, however isn’t at all times broadly obtainable in grocery shops. One straightforward answer is to combine all-purpose flour with important wheat gluten flour (obtainable in lots of baking aisles) till you obtain a protein content material of 14-16%. Don’t fear in regards to the math, right here’s a user-friendly calculator the place you’ll be able to enter the protein ranges of the flour you employ and it’ll let you know precisely how you can combine the components.
The opposite considerably uncommon ingredient is chestnut cream, the normal alternative for binding the scrumptious filling. It may be sourced on-line, or simply changed with clean peanut butter.
Watch the Pasta Grammar video:
Cook dinner Time: 6 to 7 hours, largely unattended
To make the yeast starter, you will have:
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200 grams Manitoba flour (see above)
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20 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
To make the “first dough,” you will have:
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100 grams all-purpose flour
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½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
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90 grams unsalted butter, room temperature, plus further for greasing
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40 grams granulated sugar
To make the “second dough,” you will have:
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100 grams all-purpose flour
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30 grams granulated sugar
To make the stuffing, you will have:
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100 grams granulated sugar
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100 grams chestnut cream (see above)
To assemble the cake, you will have:
To make the glaze, you will have:
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1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon juice
In a bowl, totally combine the flour and yeast collectively. Add the butter and crumble it together with your fingers into the flour, till it’s roughly included. Step by step add the water whereas kneading it in by hand. As soon as the water in included, switch the bowl contents to a clear work floor and knead till a strong dough kinds. It doesn’t must be clean, simply well-mixed.
How the Yeast Starter Ought to Look
Place the dough again into the bowl and canopy with plastic wrap. Place the bowl within the oven (turned off) with the oven gentle on. Let it rise for one hour.
Add the risen starter dough into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add each the Manitoba and all-purpose flours, and start mixing at a medium/low pace with a hook attachment. Mix the milk, egg, egg yolks, vanilla extract and rum, and add these into the blending bowl as nicely. Lastly, add the salt.
Whereas the dough mixes, mix the butter and sugar in a bowl and blend them along with a spoon.
When the dough within the mixer is well-incorporated and has turn out to be uniform, progressively add the butter one spoonful at a time. Be sure that every butter portion is totally included earlier than including the subsequent. When all the butter is included, enhance the pace barely and let the dough knead till it is rather clean and elastic (try the video above to see what it ought to seem like).
Grease the within of a big mixing bowl with a pat of butter. Take the combined dough in each fingers and kind it right into a clean ball by stretching the perimeters down and tucking them beneath (once more, try the video above to see the method).
Making a Clean Ball
Place the dough within the bowl, cowl it with plastic wrap, and let it rise within the oven with the sunshine on for one hour.
Place the newly risen dough within the bowl of the mixer and add the all-purpose flour. Combine with a hook attachment at medium/low pace. Mix the milk and egg yolk, and pour these into the mixer.
Whereas the components knead, mix the butter and sugar in a bowl and blend them collectively. As soon as the milk and egg are totally included into the dough, add the butter one spoonful at a time. Like earlier than, wait till every butter portion is included earlier than including the subsequent. When all the butter is totally combined in, let the dough knead till it is rather clean and elastic.
Type the dough right into a clean ball, place it again within the mixing bowl, cowl with plastic wrap and let it rise within the oven with the sunshine on for one hour. Whilst you dough rises, you may make…
In a meals processor, mix the hazelnuts and almonds into a rough powder (not too high-quality, you need some texture). Place them into a big mixing bowl.
Add the sugar and water right into a small saucepan and warmth over medium warmth till the syrup reaches 240°F (115°C) on an on the spot thermometer. Pour the syrup into the chopped nuts, together with the rum and chestnut cream. Roughly combine them along with a spatula.
Mixing the Filling
Use a hand mixer to whip the egg whites till agency peaks kinds. Combine the egg whites into the nuts. Cowl the filling and put aside for later.
Liberally grease the within of an 8-10 inch (20-25 cm) chiffon cake pan with butter. Additionally grease a big work floor or chopping board (you’ll desire a house about 20 inches or 50 cm sq.).
Place the bowl of dough the wrong way up and let the dough naturally fall out onto the work floor. Gently stretch the dough out together with your hand till it kinds a roughly 20 inch (50 cm) sq.. This will probably be fairly straightforward because the dough will probably be very fluffy and stretchy.
Unfold the filling alongside one fringe of the dough in a 4 inch (10cm) strip. Roll the dough up, beginning with this edge. It ought to seem like a giant burrito on the finish. Gently press the sides of the dough collectively to seal the filling inside.
Rolling the Dough
Rigorously elevate the dough rollup and place it contained in the chiffon cake pan. Press the 2 ends collectively to hide the seam. Cowl the pan in plastic wrap and let it rise within the oven with the sunshine off till the highest of the dough reaches the highest edges of the pan.
When the dough is risen, take away it from the oven and preheat the oven to 335°F (170°C). Bake the cake for 35 minutes or till deeply golden on prime. Let the cake cool fully earlier than eradicating from the chiffon pan and continuing to make…
Mix the powdered sugar, scorching water and lemon juice in a big bowl. Whisk collectively right into a thick glaze and evenly unfold this excessive of the cake. Let the glaze set earlier than serving.
Spreading the Glaze
The cake is greatest eaten contemporary, however it would final for 3 to 4 days at room temperature, loosely lined in plastic wrap.
