Panettone Bread Pudding

Panettone is a traditional Italian sweet bread during the holidays. It was first made in Milan and it now has become a staple on holiday dinner tables all over Europe and South America. In Peru we always had our Panettone after our meal with coffee or hot chocolate. Panettone has a kind of croissant flaky texture and it is filled with fruits. Simply serve it with a little butter and it is perfect on its own but this is a more decadent dessert and wow am I glad I made it this Christmas! The caramel sauce on top made the pudding extra moist! I am in love <3 

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 8 x 8 baking dish
• 1 panettone cut into 1 inch cubes ( you will have some left over surely, just pack the baking dish till it cannot hold anymore panettone and nibble on the leftovers as a treat!)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• Juice of 1/2 an orange
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• Cinnamon for the top

Ingredients for Caramel Sauce:

• 1 stick butter 
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla 

Directions:

• Butter the baking dish well! 
• Set your oven to 350 degrees. 
• Place the cubed panettone in the baking dish. 
• In a separate bowl combine all of the rest of the ingredients and whisk together. 
• Pour the wet ingredients over the panettone. Press down lightly on the bread so that it soaks up all of the wet ingredients. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Let sit for 5 minutes to soak before placing it in the oven. 
• Cook for one hour in the oven. 

• When you are ready to serve your bread pudding you can quickly made a caramel sauce for the top. 
• Simply take a small sauce pan, set it to medium-high, place in it  the butter and let it melt. 
• When it melts, add the sugar. Stir constantly until it starts to boil. 
• Slowly add heavy cream and whisk and allow to boil. 
• While stirring add the vanilla. 
• Stir and take off heat. You can pour it on the bread pudding now, it won't be very thick like the caramel you are used to but if you allow for it to cool it will. I like it warm so I don't mind that its a bit thinner!