Cherry and Hazelnut Panettone

“This is my alternative panettone recipe filled with morello cherries, dark chocolate, amaretto, orange zest and cinnamon. The recipe is vegan and gluten free but can be made with gluten flour.”

Prep time - 30 minutes

Cook time - 40-50 minutes

Rest time - 1 hour

Difficulty - Medium

Serves / makes - 18

Ingredients

200g glace morello cherries, quartered

60ml amaretto

Juice and zest of 1 orange, this is around 6T

625ml plant milk

375g gram flour (or plain gluten flour)

250g potato starch or tapioca flour (or plain gluten flour)

125g fine brown sugar

1T ground cinnamon

1t salt

125g refined unflavoured coconut oil

24g / 6+1/2t dried active yeast

125ml liquid from soaking fruit

100g hazelnuts, toasted and crushed

100g dark chocolate chips

40g psyllium husk (omit is using gluten flour)

Optional - for topping

7T cocoa powder

5T water

8T agave syrup (you can also use rice, coconut blossom or golden syrup)

400g fresh cherries

Equipment

Zester or microplane

Small bowl

Saucepan

Whisk

Large bowl

Mixing spoon

Panettone pan - 13cm high x 16cm wide

Baking paper or panettone liner (the top of the baking paper or liner should be taller than the panettone pan by around 4 or 5cm

Method

Put the morello cherries in a bowl with the amaretto and orange zest and juice. Allow to sit in the juice whilst you make the rest of the panettone. Allow to sit in the juice for an hour then strain in a sieve.
Put the milk in a saucepan on a very low heat. The milk should be warmed just a little but it should not be too warm as it will kill the yeast.
In a large bowl mix the gram flour, potato starch, sugar, cinnamon and salt.
Once the milk is warmed, add the yeast and whisk in. Add the milk mixture and the melted oil to the large bowl and mix in well. Once incorporated, add the cherry mixture, 125ml liquid from soaking fruit, hazelnuts and chocolate chips, mix in, finally add the psyllium husk and mix in well.
Pour the dough into a lined panettone pan. Turn on your oven at the lowest setting, around 70c/160f. Keep the dough in the oven, for around 1 hour, until it has increased in size by around 30%. During this time, check on the oven temperature. If it gets too hot, turn it off for a while. You want enough heat to help the dough rise but not too much that will start cooking the dough. You can also raise the dough in a warm area of your house like an airing cupboard.
Once the dough has risen, turn the temperature to 180c/360f/GM4. Bake for 40-50 minutes until golden brown.
For the topping whisk the cocoa powder, water and agave syrup until it is very smooth. Top the panettone with the cherries and pour on the chocolate sauce.