The Roman Christmas cake is the Pangiallo. It is nowhere to be found in pastry shops, andit is a pity: it is our panettone!
My uncle Sandro made it every year at Christmas but asking him for the recipe was absolutely useless because the quantities were absurd and changed every year!
I sifted through various regional cookbooks and finally, a few years ago, found my recipe in the book “The kitchen of Rome and Lazio,” adapting it based on my memory of Uncle Sandro’s cake.
How beautiful is the yellow pan to see and what a pleasure to eat it!
Roman Pangiallo
- Preparation time: 60 minutes
- Ingredients for 3 pangiallo of medium size
- Difficulty: Easy recipe
- Ingredients
- 200 gr or 7 oz of raisins
- 200 gr or 7 oz ofdried figs
- 110 gr or 4 oz of almonds with skin
- 110 gr or 4 oz of hazelnuts toasted
- 110 gr or 4 oz of pine nuts
- 110 gr or 4 oz of walnuts
- 110 gr or 4 oz of candied orange
- 350 gr or 12 oz of flour
- 175 gr or 6 oz of sugar
- 275 gr or 10 oz of honey
- Nutmeg to taste
- Pepper as needed
- For coverage:
- 1 bag of saffron in pistils
- 2 tablespoons of warm water
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar
- Instructions
- Coarsely chop the walnuts, hazelnuts, and almonds.
- Cut the dried figs and the candied oranges into cubes.
- In a bowl with boiling water, let the raisins come out for a few minutes. Drain and squeeze them well.
- In a saucepan, heat the honey and then add the sugar and spices.
- Then in a large bowl mix the dried fruit, the squeezed raisins, the candied fruit, and the flour. Combine the hot spicy honey and continue to mix.
- Coat three pudding molds 16.9 fl oz each with cellophane. Pour the mixture and press it down well. Leave to stand at room temperature for a few minutes. Remove from the oven on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
- Meanwhile, prepare the topping. In a cup, pour lukewarm water and saffron. Dissolve it well and then add the sugar first and then the flour. Brush the pangiallo with this mixture.
- Bake in a hot oven at 325°F for thirty-five minutes.
Tips to ensure the success of the dish:
- Dried fruit and honey must be of excellent quality.
- If you want the sweeter pangiallo, you can add 3.5 oz of minced chocolate. It will become darker but perhaps better for children.
- The shape of the pangiallo is slightly rounded, so I add them first in pudding molds. Milk bowls can also be used. The important thing is to give it a rounded shape.
Aunt Silvana and Uncle Sandro on the dinner of cousin Stefania’s wedding
