Ice Cream Panettone

I know Christmas is over but some of you may still have a panettone or two lingering around.  Panettone is a type of sweet bread/cake originating from Milan, usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas and New Year in Italy and now in other countries as well.

I had one here last week so I decided to spruce it up for our family night dessert. If you don't have any panettone left, make sure you save or print this recipe for next year.

This recipe was inspired by my niece Daniela who made this same dessert for Christmas a couple of years ago. There are literally hundreds of variations you can experiment with from the type of panettone used, to what you use to brush the inner walls (Baileys or other alcohol adds a different flavour) and of course the ice cream you use to fill it.

As you have gathered, this is a cheat version - you do not need to make the panettone or the ice cream. It's relatively quick and simple but definitely has a wow factor.

I didn't fill mine quite enough and my photos aren't the best but you will get the general idea.

Ice Cream Panettone

Serves 10+

Panettone (I used one with chocolate in it)
1L tub of ice cream (I used Bulla's Choc Chip)
1 shot of espresso coffee (I used Nespresso's Ciocattino)


1. Leave tub of ice cream out of freezer so that it begins to soften.

2. Carefully cut the top of the panettone off and set aside.

3. Pull out the inside of the panettone, leaving enough of a wall and base so that it doesn't break. The panettone that you pull out can be set aside to be eaten at another time.

4. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the inner walls and base of panettone with the espresso coffee.

5. Once the ice cream is sufficiently soft, fill the panettone with it. I should have put extra in because it wasn't completely softened and sunk a little once frozen. Make sure you pack it in!

6. Then simply place the top of the panettone back on, put the whole panettone in its original plastic package and seal tightly.

7. Put panettone into freezer for at least a couple of hours, or until ready to serve.

8. Then simply remove from packaging and slice up. So simple and yummy!

 

Don't forget to print this recipe off and save it for next Christmas!

Otto, Wooloomooloo

Otto is an established favourite along the strip of restaurants on Cowper Wharf in Wooloomooloo, Sydney. A picturesque setting, combined with modern Italian cuisine and wine, provides the perfect escape from the drudgery of everyday life.

I recently had the pleasure of dining there with friends and I must say their reputation for fine food has not waned. The hardest decision was always going to be what to order. When in doubt, have a little of everything! Degustation menus are a perfect way to sample more than one dish on the menu - so that's the option we went for.

What follows is a pictorial tribute to our feast. Special thanks to our friends for helping with the food lighting...the dim lighting is the only drawback for a food blogger! We did the best we could under the circumstances. The photos don't do the food full justice. It was a delicious feast.

The degustation menu is $140 per person (or $210 per person with matching wines). A little pricey for some, but well worth the treat!

We added some fresh and dressed oysters to our menu and they went down a treat!



Not sure this was on the degustation list either but it was included - delicately cut Prosciutto and Rockmelon. 



Tonno ‘Panzanella’Yellowfin tuna, tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum, croutons, olives, capers, basil.

Carpaccio di Manzo Grainge Angus carpaccio, truffle dressing, aioli, capers, parmesan, baby rocket.

 

Fiori di Zucchini Zucchini flowers filled with baccala, caponata.

Tagliolini Black and white long pasta, QLD scallops, cherry tomatoes, chilli, garlic, basil.

 The next plate was a choice between fish and meat. I went with the Black Angus and was not disappointed. It melted in my mouth.

Dentice Line-caught Pink Snapper fillets, Globe artichokes, celery, muscatels, pine nuts

Cappello del Prete Rangers Valley Black Angus flat iron beef MB 3+, celeriac, mushrooms, onion, pancetta, veal jus.



Formaggio A taste of cheese with quince paste and date.

 

Selezione di Dolci Selection of miniature desserts.

In all my reviews I like to pick a stand out dish, and in this instance I would have to say it was the Black Angus - I had mine medium (the most they will cook it) and it was mouth wateringly good! It was followed closely by those front two miniature desserts, each featuring favourite flavours of mine - coconut and chocolate. The dessert plate was shared in pairs - a good thing, since by this stage we were pretty full.

Combined with great wine, and coffees to end the night - it was a wonderful degustation menu and highly recommended. Otto hasn't lost any of its shine. Head Chef, Richard Ptacnik says that his mission "is to let the freshness of the produce and the quality of the ingredients do the talking”
- and he certainly has done that.

Lemon Zest and Zucchini Flower Pasta

I can't let this Summer pass without sharing one of my very favourite zucchini flower recipes. Each year, I patiently wait for my mother-in-law to collect her crop of zucchini flowers so that I can make this dish. Whilst I love using the flowers to make fritters and I can rarely turn down stuffed zucchini flowers on restaurant menus, this dish is something else again. It's just moreish...

The ingredient quantities for this recipe are not set in stone. I tend to tinker with them, depending on what I have available. Plus I always like to add extra zucchini and flowers if I can! The quantities listed are enough for two large serves with leftovers.

Lemon Zest and Zucchini Flower Pasta

2 medium or 4 small zucchini, grated
10 zucchini flowers, cleaned (stem removed) and cut in half
olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
3-4 tablespoons pine nuts
Grated zest of one lemon
160ml of vegetable stock*
250g dry pasta/spaghetti
Salt to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)

* Thermomix users can use tablespoon of homemade vegetable stock dissolved in 160ml of water.

1. Heat a little oil in a fry pan and fry the grated zucchini and flowers on medium heat until wilted and starting to brown. Stir mixture occasionally to avoid it burning and sticking to pan.

2. Add as little or as much chilli as you desire and mix through.

3. Then add pine nuts, lemon zest and stock and cook for another few minutes. Season with a little salt.

4. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in boiling, salted water to your liking. Once cooked, drain and place back into saucepan. Toss some of the zucchini mixture through the pasta so that it's well coated.

5. Dish pasta into individual plates and top with some additional zucchini mixture, as well as a little Parmesan if desired.