Italian panettone is proving a big Christmas hit in the UK – here are our faves

THE classic Italian panettone, made with sweet-tasting bread and candied fruit, is proving a big Christmas hit over here.

Waitrose is reporting sales are up 57 per cent year-on-year, while Selfridges has ordered 80 per cent more stock of its salted caramel recipe after selling out last year.

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We asked writer and mum of three Lynsey Hope for her verdict on this year’s supermarket sweets, scoring each out of ten for taste.

Morrisons The Best classic fruit panettone

750g, £7

I AM a big fan of this version, which looked and tasted like a giant hot cross bun.

9

It had a lovely soft, buttery texture and a golden crust.

It was quite traditional in terms of flavour, with juicy currants and citrus aromas from candied peel. Great price, too. These will fly off the shelves.

8/10

Waitrose Christmas chocolate panettone

750g, £10

CUTTING into this, it was more like chocolate cake than panettone. It was tasty and looked impressive, with a good coating of chocolate ganache on top.

9

But if you want chocolate, there are better options out there.

At £10, it is quite pricey.

5/10

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Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference orange and “prosecco doc” panettone

800g, £7.50

WINNER

LOVELY citrus flavours but this packs an extra punch by adding a touch of prosecco.

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It was just the right amount to give this a special Christmassy feel without being overpowering.

The panettone is traditional but I liked the modern twist with the flavour. You could taste the orange peel in each bite and out of all I tried, it was the softest and fluffiest, a little like brioche.

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It came in a lovely gift box with a ribbon and would make a lovely Christmas present. My favourite.

10/10

Marks & Spencer triple chocolate panettone

750g, £10

RUNNER-UP

THIS looked like a giant cupcake and was covered in a good layer of chocolate ganache, with chocolate chips on top.

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Inside, there is a good quantity of gooey chocolate sauce throughout. It was delicious . . . if a little rich.

It felt very indulgent but would make a perfect Christmas treat or gift. If you are not a fan of traditional panettone, make this your number one choice.

9/10

Asda Extra Special classic panettone

500g, £4.50

THIS had an impressive rise and cut well. The flavour was lovely but I would have preferred a bit more fruit.

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At £4.50 it’s a great price, though, and it came in an attractive gift box.

6/10

Lidl Deluxe classic panettone

750g, £3.69

I HAD high hopes for this but was left disappointed. It was a real high-rise and looked impressive as it came out of the box, but it was hard to cut and I ended up with a squidgy mess on my plate.

9

A bit dry too and probably my least favourite of the bunch. You get the most by weight for your money but I’m sorry to say I wouldn’t buy it again.

3/10

Aldi Specially Selected chocolate panettone

100g, 99p

I LOVE these mini ones. So often I cut into a big panettone but end up wasting a lot, as it goes dry before it gets eaten.

9

These are still big enough to share, light and fluffy and make a cute Christmas gift.

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A great idea from Aldi to sell these mini versions . . . and maybe better for the waistline too.

7/10