As we all know, the countdown to Christmas is officially on, with just 21 days until you’re tucking into your dinner with all the trimmings.
But what are you having for your dessert this Christmas? Are you going to be having something deliciously chocolatey, or does your family favour a Christmas cake? What about a delightful panettone?
Well, until recently, panettone wasn’t something that I’d ever had. It’s not a staple in my household, and it wasn’t while I was growing up. Or rather, it was at my grandma’s, but I ignored it in favour of all the chocolatey offerings. In fact, I thought a panettone was actually hard, not buttery soft and light.
So you wouldn’t believe my horror, and how hard done by I felt, when I tried my first one, only to realise it was absolutely divine and I loved it.
I tried Aldi’s Pistachio Panettone, coming in at just £5.99 for a hefty portion which serves 10. I’d seen it all over TikTok, and couldn’t resist. It’s described as an “Italian, golden sweet bread, with pistachio creme and chocolate chips”. I’d clearly never read the description of a panettone before, because as I previously mentioned, I honestly thought it was hard and crispy for some reason. Maybe the adverts just don’t do them justice.
When I unboxed it, it immediately smelled amazing, and I was enticed, not particularly by the way it looked, but by the aroma.
I mean, there are definitely prettier Christmas desserts on the market, but as we’ve always been told, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover!
So I didn’t, and I proceeded to cut into it, which is where I was left super confused, because it looked so much denser and solid than it actually was. The sweet bread was light and fluffy. Colour me surprised, because I really did not expect this at all. To me, it looked almost more tiger-bread-esque than it actually was.
I cut myself a slice, and was slightly hesitant because I didn’t know how much I was going to like it based on the way it looked. The chocolate chips also looked raisin-like, and I was concerned I was going to be catfished (we’ve all been there).
But whatever the opposite of catfishing is, that’s how I felt. I was absolutely blown away by how good it tasted.
It was soft, the chocolate chips were delightful, and the absolute show-stopper is the pistachio flavouring. It’s not quite as thick as a spread, but it’s so tasty and really makes it stand out. It didn’t need it, though, because the chocolate chips do a lot of the heavy lifting, and the sweet bread is divine.
My partner had also never tried one, and he asked: “It’s nice, but would you actually want to eat it after your Christmas dinner?” My eyes bulged as I exclaimed, “Yes!”
Like, of course I would! It’s absolutely delicious. And yeah, I might not want it immediately after I’d eaten my Christmas dinner because tonnes of roast potatoes + a bready pudding = me feeling sick for the rest of the day, which isn’t ideal.
But, if, like me, you’ve never had a panettone before, please, make Christmas 2025 the year you buy yourself one!